#YouAreNotATreeYouCanMove
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Beronda gets it.

#LessonsFromPlants
#YouAreNotATreeYouCanMove
Image taken of page 92 of Beronda Montgomery's book 'Lessons From Plants'. A vague outline of beige forefingers can be seen at the bottom of the page, which is propped up against a shaggy blue blanket. A sparse, wood-paneled floor can be seen in the background at the left edge of the image. Lightly edited text reads as follows: "Promoting change in human environments requires similar skills to those that plants display during ecological succession. In human institutions, or ecosystems, effective initial leaders of cultural change function as pioneers. Identifying and supporting individuals who possess the characteristics needed to promote change successively and synergistically towards developing and sustaining a new ecosystem is critical. Leaders who are effective trailblazers, like pioneer plants, are able to thrive while guiding change with limited or variable resources. They also recognize that even when an environment seems stable, the efforts of the pioneers can forge new directions and innovation. In human succession... organizations often focus on group dynamics rather than recognizing and embracing the impact that individuals--especially effective change agents--can have on influencing desired cultural change. Accomplishing change requires leaders and trailblazers." Image taken of page 93 of Beronda Montgomery's book 'Lessons From Plants'. A vague outline of a shaggy blue blanket can be seen in the background. Lightly edited text reads as follows: "Pioneer plants in primary succession may need to emerge through barriers or put down roots in difficult places [but they] can often effect change with minimal resources or networks to support ideas, growth, and innovation. The effort of these individuals... leads to additional ecosystem changes that support the next wave of individuals needed to drive and sustain cultural change and institutional transformation. The transformational goals of pioneers often require an initial period of disruption. Just as prescribed fires are needed for managing certain ecosystems, intentional disruptions may be required in human ecosystems to interrupt entrenched patterns or status quo thinking or action, and to move purposefully toward intended change outcomes. Although intentional disruption is often necessary, we should not overlook the reality that beneficial disruption opportunities can arise from ['bad' events or] intentions. For example, the 2016 election of a US president whom many Americans viewed as anti-woman and anti-science led to a national protest movement, including the 2017 Women's March and the March for Science." Image taken of page 94 of Beronda Montgomery's book 'Lessons From Plants'. A vague outline of beige forefingers can be seen near the bottom of the page as the book is propped against a shaggy blue blanket. A sparse, wood-paneled floor can be seen at the left edge of the image. Lightly edited text reads as follows: "We tend to ignore the need to introduce intentional disturbance or disruption, just as we do in fire-adapted ecosystems [but] significant changes [in/to] the composition of individuals may be required to move towards change targets. People often purport to desire significant changes to ecosystem structures in the pursuit of equity but ignore the need for real 'disturbance' to break away from the status quo community composition. An organization may need to reevaluate recruitment strategies and screening processes to promote the identification and recruitment of a broader range of individuals. We must understand that intervention and intentional disruption may be critical for supporting environments primed for the succession needed to support cultural change. We can accomplish systemic change through multiple means... Strategic ways to initiate transformation start with reflection on and awareness of our current situation: identify the features of the local surroundings and what resources are available, and assess our needs. At the community level a subset of individuals, pioneers, can serve the whole by acting as 'sensors'. Such individuals are positioned to assess climate or rapid changes in the environment which require responses or innovations." Image taken of page 95 of Beronda Montgomery's book 'Lessons From Plants'. Lightly edited text reads as follows: "Everyone must recognize the importance of pioneers--those that have the traits needed to initiate robust culture change at the right time and place--and support the need for leaders to function in this pioneering way."
May 16, 2026 at 6:18 PM