Adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith, this new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us.

Watch for information about related events on the Common Book webpage.Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plantsĭrawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrated how all living things-from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen-provide us with gifts and lessons every day in her best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass. We invite everyone to join this community experience of digging into a common book together, and to engage in related discussions and activities throughout the school year. The book was re-released in Summer 2020 with a new introduction, but doesn’t differ substantially from the original release. E-copies are readily available for purchase online and we encourage you to utilize independent booksellers as much as possible. For purchase, e-copies cost roughly $10 and paperback volumes cost about $20. The UW Library has an e-book of Braiding Sweetgrass (2013 edition) with unlimited users. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. This year's selection of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer will engage the community in exploration of the interconnectedness of our world through the lens of an Indigenous scientist, and spark rich conversations and learning experiences. Throughout the school year students have the opportunity to participate in a series of lectures, interactive discussions, advocacy efforts, and seminars focused on the major topic(s) of the book. Each year, an open group from within the University of Washington Health Sciences selects a Common Book that serves as a platform for students from across health professions to learn together on topics of common importance.

Author of braiding sweetgrass