aliciamanderson81

This summer, I had the rare and beautiful gift of traveling through Europe with my best friend. For a few days, we shouldered our packs and wandered the Scottish Highlands , tracing narrow trails through the heather and mist. As I walked, eyes fixed on the path before me, I began to recognize familiar faces among the wild growth — common plantain, yarrow, self-heal, and dandelion . Each one felt like an old friend, quietly reminding me that the languages of plants and people are never...

I started Roots and Rites  because I believe women deserve better. Throughout my career as an Environmental Scientist  with a master’s degree focused on plant conservation , I’ve spent years studying the intelligence of living systems — how every plant, soil microbe, and drop of water works in balance to sustain life. Somewhere along the way, I realized that human health isn’t all that different. We, too, are ecosystems. As women, we’re often taught to dismiss our discomfort — to accept...