Hello, I’d like to tell you about my new book called Can You Hear the Plants Speak? It’s about how my great-grandparents, who were Native Americans from southern California, taught me about our plant relatives.

For thousands of years, our Cahuilla and Apache ancestors used the natural world for food, clothing, homes, tools, and medicines – there were no grocery stores! They understood how to take care of their relatives and treat the plants with respect.

My great-grandparents passed these lessons down to me. They taught me to touch the plants gently, and teasing me when I tried to sell every plant - “Look at Nicky,” they would say, “sticking his nose in everything, just like a hummingbird!”

They showed me how the native plants had evolved with the insects, birds, reptiles, and animals. And our people had learned which plants are delicious, which are good when you are sick.

Some of these plants still grow in their traditional lands, but as their lands are more and more taken by buildings, it is important for us to learn to grow them at our homes. (Portrait by Barbara Eisenstein)