Gathering Moss

Robin Wall Kimmerer.  Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses.   Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, 2003.

Winner of the 2005 John Burroughs Medal Award for Natural History Writing

Discover the biological intricacies of moss through Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer. As an expert in the field, Kimmerer delves into the scientific and cultural significance of this often overlooked plant. Learn about the benefits and impact of moss in ecosystems, all presented in an informative and professional tone.

"Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering moss is a mix of science and personal reflection that invites readers to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses. In this series of linked personal essays, Robin Kimmerer leads general readers and scientists alike to an understanding of how mosses live and how their lives are intertwined with the lives of countless other beings. Kimmerer explains the biology of mosses clearly and artfully, while at the same time reflecting on what these fascinating organisms have to teach us. Drawing on her experiences as a scientist, a mother, and a Native American, Kimmerer explains the stories of mosses in scientific terms as well as in the framework of Indigenous ways of knowing. In her book, the natural history and cultural relationships of mosses become a powerful metaphor for ways of living in the world."-- Provided by publisher

Robin Wall Kimmerer is Distinguished Teaching Professor at the SUNY College of Environmental and Forest Biology and the founding Director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. She is the author of the bestselling Braiding Sweetgrass.