The Ridges Sanctuary

About the Discussion Series 

Last year, we as Ridges staff were so inspired by the release of Paul Hawken’s book Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation that we wanted to involve the community in our discussions of the book and the climate crisis. Thus, The Ridges Book Club was born. The first series of the book club focused on Hawken’s book, titled “Ridges + Regeneration”. We were shocked by the large participation we received from our community throughout the discussion series. We also recognized the need for more spaces to discuss the intersection of the climate crisis, our community, and The Ridges.  

This year, we are excited to focus on another invaluable work that has influenced us in our personal and work lives. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer was published in 2015 and soon became a New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times Best Seller. It was also named a “Best Essay Collection of the Decade” by Literary Hub.  Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. In her collection of essays that make up Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer uses her scientific training in confluence with her Indigenous knowledge to show the reader how much we can learn from organisms like asters, goldenrod, strawberries, and salamanders, if we learn to listen to their languages. Although anyone can relate to Kimmerer’s essays in Braiding Sweetgrass, the book struck a chord with our staff as many of the flora and fauna that Kimmerer writes about are found in our forest ecosystem. We look forward to learning from each other through discussion of Braiding Sweetgrass, as well as remembering the gifts of the earth as Kimmerer describes.