Flourish is an immersive journey into the heart of the natural world, where Black Moon Trio is joined by Robin Wall Kimmerer; scientist, decorated professor, NYT best-selling author, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Together, they explore the profound, interwoven relationships between humans and the environment.
Influenced by Kimmerer’s work as a scientist and Indigenous knowledge keeper, Flourish embraces nature not as something to be conquered or consumed, but as a living, breathing partner, whose wisdom is available to those who take the time to listen. Kimmerer’s insights, expressed through her reflective and poetic voice, guide listeners to see the land as a giver: one that offers more than sustenance, but also lessons of gratitude, respect, and care. Her philosophy of reciprocity, as articulated in her works Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants and The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, informs every track. Perfect for reflection, moments of gratitude, or meditative practice, Flourish pairs music and spoken word to create sonic spaces that invite healing and balance.
This performance is more than just music; it is an invitation to reconnect with the world around us. Guided by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s wisdom, Black Moon Trio honors the living forces of the Earth, celebrating its fragility, majesty, and resilience. Flourish is a sonic love letter to the planet—gentle yet powerful, meditative yet awakening—a perfect soundtrack for those who seek solace and inspiration in the natural world.
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Greeting from Robin Wall Kimmerer (0:14)
“Skywoman Falling” from Braiding Sweetgrass (6:12)
Tochchíᑊna (2024)* by Jerod Impichchaachaahaᑊ Tate (8:42)
“Gift Economy” from The Serviceberry (5:31)
Bloom (2017)* by Katherine Rawlings (6:13)
“Witness to the Rain” from Braiding Sweetgrass (6:22)
Sobre las Olas (1888, 2025)* by Juventino Rosas, arr. Black Moon Trio (5:43)
“The Honorable Harvest” from The Serviceberry (1:38)
Moon River (1961) by Henry Mancini, arr. Turcanu (3:33)
“How will we answer?” from The Serviceberry (3:35)
Indiana Dunes (2011) by Harry Bulow (8:31)
TOTAL TIME: (56:14)
* World Premiere Recording
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Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of Bud Finds Her Gift, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, which has earned Kimmerer wide acclaim. Her first book, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing, and her other work has appeared in Orion, Whole Terrain, and numerous scientific journals. In 2022, Braiding Sweetgrass was adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith. This new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us.
Robin tours widely and has been featured on NPR’s On Being with Krista Tippett and in 2015 addressed the general assembly of the United Nations on the topic of “Healing Our Relationship with Nature.” Kimmerer is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, whose mission is to create programs which draw on the wisdom of both indigenous and scientific knowledge for our shared goals of sustainability. In 2022 she was named a MacArthur Fellow and she received the National Humanities Medal in 2023.
Robin launched her movement, Plant, Baby, Plant in 2025 as a way for individuals to be involved in loving the natural world around us.
As a writer and a scientist, her interests in restoration include not only restoration of ecological communities, but restoration of our relationships to land. She holds a BS in Botany from SUNY ESF, an MS and PhD in Botany from the University of Wisconsin and is the author of numerous scientific papers on plant ecology, bryophyte ecology, traditional knowledge and restoration ecology. She lives on an old farm in upstate New York, tending gardens both cultivated and wild.