One of my family’s favorite year-round Adirondack museums is Tupper Lake’s Wild Center. The combination of trails and outdoor space mixed with live exhibits and multi-media shows satisfies a wide range of ages from grandmother to granddaughter.

Though the creative hands-on learning opportunities are a good part of its appeal, the Wild Center continues to grow with its audience through award-winning films, the Youth Climate Summit and other special programming. Saturday’s visit by Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose latest book is, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, is another of those occasions.

According to Exhibits and Programs Manager Rob Carr, Kimmerer’s reading is open to members and those with a paid admission to The Wild Center on January 9 at 1 pm.

“We don’t do readings commonly, but we have done them in the past,” says Carr. “We want to join with those authors who have written books that connect with initiatives we support. Both of Kimmerer’s books Gathering Moss and Braiding Sweetgrass are amazing works and available at our store.”

Previously The Wild Center brought Kristen Kimball to speak about her book, The Dirty Life drawing interest to their Essex Farm and the young farmers’ movement. Carr mentions that Essex Farm has brought much needed local attention to the Farm to Table Movement as well as mentoring new farmers through the book and their CSA.

As a Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology at the SUNY Environmental Sciences and Forestry in Syracuse and founding Director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass weaves her experiences as a trained botanist with her own Native American heritage.

“Robin Wall Kimmerer tells a story that combines science, memoir, natural history and Native American teachings,” says Carr. “She has a nice perspective on wild things.”

Don’t worry if you can’t make the January 9, reading, check back later for a digital version of the reading. The Wild Center will be filming, editing and broadcasting Kimmerer to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to hear an excerpt from Braiding Sweetgrass.

Photo of Robin Wall Kimmerer provided by The Wild Center.