Can You Hear the Plants Speak?

What do we learn from plants when we listen to them speaking? Indigenous plantsman Nicholas Hummingbird calls on the legacy of his great-grandparents to remember how one drop of rain, one seed, one plant can renew a cycle of hope and connection—for him and for each of us.

With gorgeous illustrations from Rock Your Mocs artist Madelyn Goodnight, Can You Hear the Plants Speak? encourages us to engage with the natural world.

Author Nicholas Hummingbird is a native plant expert and plant activist. When Nicholas was a child, his Cahuilla and Apache great-grandparents taught him to listen to plants and how to steward their lands wisely and with respect. Today he keeps their memories and stories alive through his work restoring habitat and bringing nature back to concrete urban spaces. He and his young son, Tuhui, whose name means the first drop of rain, enjoy hiking, cooking, and reading picture books. Nicholas lives in Ventura, California.

Our people believe spirit lives in everything.

Mountain, river, wind, tree.

Come, take a walk with me.