Mystic South

Modern botanical science has finally reached a point where the hidden lives of plants are not so hidden. Plant ecologists have been studying their behavior, strategies, and cultures for hundreds of years. But recent academic research on plant intelligence has allowed us to understand them as a unique group of species with agency. Add a dash of animism and what you discover is a rich accounting of their incredible lives and their full potential as partners. This presentation will shed light on the hidden lives of plants by focusing on their ecology and discoveries in the new field of plant intelligence. It will end with a discussion of recently published books by botanists, and their reporter fans, who may or may not know that their work is infused with animism. Works that provide valuable insights and offer an animism grounded in both the spiritual and scientific realms.