With words at your disposal, you can see more clearly.

One of the themes of Gathering Moss by RWK is the connection between attention and vocabulary and knowledge and respect

“Mosses are so little known by the general public that only a few have been given common names. Most are known solely by their scientific Latin names, a fact which discourages most people from attempting to identify them. But I like the scientific names, because they are as beautiful and intricate as the plants they name. Indulge yourself in the words, rhythmic and musical, rolling off your tongue: Dolicathecia striatella, Thuidium delicatulum, Barbula fallax.”

― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses

“The edge of a leaf is not simply uneven; there is a glossary of specific words for the appearance of a leaf margin: dentate for large, coarse teeth, serrate for a sawblade edge, serrulate if the teeth are fine and even, ciliate for a fringe along the edge. A leaf folded by accordion pleats is plicate, complanate when flattened as if squashed between two pages of a book. Every nuance of moss architecture has a word.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses

“With words at your disposal, you can see more clearly. Finding the words is another step in learning to see.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses

“Losing their names is a step in losing respect. Knowing their names is the first step in regaining our connection.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses