Robin Wall Kimmerer is an American scientist, professor, and author, best known for her work in botany and her writings on the relationship between humans and the natural world. A member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Kimmerer combines indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge to explore ecological themes and the ethics of reciprocity in her books, including Braiding Sweetgrass and her new book, The Serviceberry. Her work emphasizes respect for nature, interdependence, and the role of gratitude in fostering a sustainable relationship with the earth.
Quotes
“To love a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer.
“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer.
“In some Native languages, the term for plants translates to ‘those who take care of us.’” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“All flourishing is mutual.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands but also for our relationship to the world.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“The land knows you, even when you are lost.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“One of the most important things each of us can know is our unique gift and how to use it in the world.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“The earth offers us many lessons of generosity and reciprocity if we learn to listen.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“Plants know how to make food from light and water. This is a form of magic, but it is also life-giving wisdom.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“Gratitude is the way we celebrate what is and honour what sustains us.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“Transformation comes not by denying who we are but by claiming the wisdom of who we are.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“To be Indigenous is to know that you belong to the land.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“A garden is a nursery for nurturing connections, both to the earth and to one another.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“In the absence of the sacred, nothing is sacred; everything is for sale.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“We are showered every day with gifts, but they are not meant for us alone.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“The practice of gratitude can, like a fertile soil, grow an abundant life.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“Being naturalized to place means recognizing that your life is inseparable from the life of the land.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“Plants are our teachers; they tell us what we need to know if we listen.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer
“Healing is not just something you receive; it is something you give as well.” - Robin Wall Kimmerer