Activity Report Explorer

Polly Dyer – Seattle • Entered by Penelope Peterson on December 31, 2022

GOB Book Club

December 1, 2022 – December 1, 2022

Key Issue: Multiple apply
Activity Type: Education & Outreach (tabling, films & lectures, regional B-walks/works)
Key Partners: Polly Dyer Seattle Broads and a few Broads from other states

Measurable Outcomes

Outcome 1: Event Attendees (9 )

Short Description of Activity

For this Book Club meeting, we read, “Gathering Moss” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. “Braiding Sweetgrass” was one of the first books we read as a group so we are fans of Kimmerer’s work. Since Kimmerer recently won a MacArthur Genius Award, we wanted to return to read something of hers. I prepared thirteen questions ahead of time as I always do, and the group discussed each of these in turn.

Reflection/Evaluation

Nine Broads participated in an interesting discussion of “Gathering Moss.” Kimmerer wrote this book ten years before she wrote “Braiding Sweetgrass,” and we all agreed that Kimmerer was just developing some of the ideas that later appeared in “Braiding Sweetgrass,” in their most developed form. All of us also agreed that we learned more about mosses than we had ever known before, including the little known facts that native tribes used mosses for diapers; sanitary napkins; steaming the native plant, camas; and wiping freshly caught salmon. “Gathering Moss” constituted the thirtieth book that our Book Club has read over the last 4 1/2 years. We’re proud of this accomplishment and of all we have learned as a result of our avid reading and discussion of environmental works. Our next Book Club is scheduled for January 26th at 7 pm via Zoom when we will be discussing, “Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore.” This book I learned about from a CARE call on equity and diversity in October. I suggested it as our next read, and the group agreed.