Dear Wild Ones members:
I recently had the opportunity to hear Robin Wall Kimmerer read excerpts from her new book “The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World.” It helped me see how her vision of a gift economy reflects what we do at Wild Ones.
Kimmerer is a Potawatomi botanist, author, and the director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
In her latest book, she discusses the concept of reciprocity and the gift economy. She contrasts what plants, like the serviceberry, can do for us: they take the energy of the sun and transform it into berries which they give to the world freely, thereby supporting and participating in ecosystems.
While waiting in line for the book signing, I had my first opportunity to practice gift economy by offering seeds to the hosting congregation’s upcoming seed swap. It was very satisfying to realize that what we do at Wild Ones (sharing of seeds, plants, knowledge, advice and friendship), epitomizes the concept of the gift economy.
Rosemary Mix
Chapter President
