Conversations in Conservation: Virtual Book Discussion

Why The Light Eaters?

Plants represent a crucial swath of Earth’s life. They create the oxygen we breathe, restore soil-health, and provide resources like shelter, food, and more to the Animal Kingdom. This book goes far beyond a mechanical look at plants to broaden human viewpoints to a more inclusive sense of other lifeforms. 

Through a series of highly contemporary plant studies, Schlanger surveys the modern understanding of “who”  plants are. At times, the book defends sentiments not widely agreed upon across the scientific community. Despite this, Schlanger writes of--and cites numerous studies that uncover new observations of plant life.

There’s a lot to discuss here: How does language affect our scientific understanding of plants? Where does science fall short? How can learning about plants help us to steward local land in the Hudson Valley? 

Regardless of what one believes about plants, the book is a chronicle of human missteps--times when we humans thought we knew everything, only to realize we knew very little. In the contemporary era, an understanding of what we “don’t know we don’t know” may help humans to care for our land with the help of plants and fungi. 

Far beyond the question of “how plants can be useful to humans” the book looks at plant agency itself.  I think this is an important book to discuss in conservation circles, not only because it challenges the idea of human-driven plans toward preservation, but it challenges the very idea of life itself! It’s a beautiful read. I look forward to hearing  what you think!

If you have any questions, feel free to message me, Miranda, on the Woodstock Land Conservancy Instagram @woodstock_land_conservancy  or at [email protected].

-Miranda Javid

Conversations in Conservation: WLC’s Annual Read is a virtual meet-up where participants come together on Zoom to explore texts and discuss practices for caretaking local land. This collaborative space fosters dialogue on environmental stewardship, encouraging a deeper connection to the natural world through shared exchange. WLC will provide a free reading guide for use in schools and other book clubs.

Host or Publisher Woodstock Land Conservancy