Who knew plant science could be so fascinating, or hold so many medical possibilities? Certainly not me!

“Conservation can’t happen in a vacuum. As long as humans are considered separate from – instead of part of – nature, such initiatives will likely be met with little success.” The Plant Hunter by Cassandra Leah Quave

Humans are not an invasive species. In fact, I’m not completely sure what would be an invasive species. Every species on this planet evolved right here along side of us in the grand scheme of things. We are all doing what comes naturally, improving on it, and continuing on our way.

For our species to continue, we need to start accepting the fact that we are part of things here, not a foreign invader. Yes, like every other species, at first it was survival of the fittest. We’ve gotten to this point in time and space by scrambling to the top. Now that we’re here, and we’ve evolved these big creative brains, let’s find ways to stabilize and make things easier.

She believes that, like other drugs that were first derived from plants, there are more out there. She wants to find and catalog the ones used by shamans and healers, investigate how they work, what they are made of, and find out if any of them can help us heal in new and innovative ways. She made ME excited about the possibilities and most science, especially medical, is beyond my understanding.

I really enjoyed reading The Plant Hunter. The author seems like a wonderfully talented and well-rounded person, and she shared her story in such a beautiful way, weaving the passion she has for her science all within the story of her life.

This is the way things should be presented. I have an adjusted viewpoint about science, university labs, medical care, plants, etc. because of the way she told it. This will be a book I pull off my shelf in the future and hand to a friend, maybe even a child. “Read this. It’ll show you another world of possibilities.”

I’m not just talking about the science she is so driven to search out and understand. I’m talking about the research and university life, grant writing, travel, parenting and relationship, all from a very intelligent woman with a prosthetic leg and foot. We all could learn a lot from her.