Laura Jackson is a biology professor, director of UNI’s Tallgrass Prairie Center, and a former member of our congregation. Here are her own words on her topic. “Natural objects (flowers, clouds, birds) and processes (seeds sprouting, storms, winged flight) are widely used as metaphors, and I find that encouraging. I will share my love for the mysterious “otherness” of plants, particularly their roots and their seeds, and explore the lessons we can learn from them, both metaphorically and literally.”