Excerpts from Gathering Moss

Adapted from chapters "Learning to See" and "The Forest Gives Thanks to the Moss"

in Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer

“Walking through the woods as a human
is a lot like flying over a continent at 32,000 feet. So far above the
ground, and on our way to somewhere else, we run the risk of missing
an entire realm which lies at our feet. Every day we pass over moss
without noticing it. Mosses and other small beings require a closer look.
Look in a certain way and a whole new world can be revealed.

Mosses are so little known by the general public that only a few have
been given common names. Knowing mosses, however, does not require
knowing their scientific names.

Often, when I encounter a new moss, I give it a name which makes sense to me:
Green velvet, curly top, or red stem. You don’t have to know the exact name.
What seems to me to be important is recognizing them, acknowledging that they each are unique.
In indigenous ways of knowing, all beings are recognized as more-human
persons, and all have their own names. It is a sign of respect to call a
being by its name, and a sign of disrespect to ignore it. Words and
names are the ways we humans build relationship, not only with each
other, but also with plants.”

Let’s start with the trees.
“Towering trees and tiny mosses have an long-lasting relationship that starts at birth. A pine
seed falling to the bare ground might find itself pummeled by heavy raindrops or carried off by an ant. But if the seed fell on a bed of moss, the moss can be a nest that can hold water for the seed longer than soil and give the seed a head start on life. Trees give thanks for the mosses.”

What about clouds?
“Long after the rain has gone, mossy tree trunks remain [soaked] and slowly
release that moisture to the forest. When [sunlight] comes through the canopy and focuses on a clump of moss, you can watch the steam rise, that moisture, rising, all the way up, right back up to the clouds. Clouds give thanks to the mosses.”

What about banana slugs?
“Banana slugs are most likely to be found in the morning, when you can still see their slime trails. They seem to disappear by the time the morning is over. But where do they go? I discovered their hideaway one afternoon when I was looking at some decaying logs. Peeling away a layer of moss from a massive log, I found a whole bunch of banana slugs sleeping. Lying in individual rooms of cool, spongy, moist wood, with a blanket of moss. I quickly covered them up, before the sun could catch them sleeping. Slugs give thanks to the mosses.”

What about mushrooms?
“The fungi’s survival is highly dependent upon constant moisture in the log. Moss is a warm layer that insulates the log from drying, providing an environment where the fungi can flourish. And mushrooms to grow. Fungi give thanks to the mosses.

I hold tight to the vision that someday soon we will find the courage and humility to live like mosses. On that day, when we rise to give thanks to the forest, we may hear the echo in return, the forest giving thanks to the people.”