USC Belser Book Club March 2025: "The Serviceberry" by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Welcome all nature lovers to the Belser Arboretum Book Club! Please join us, and share this announcement with your fellow readers.

Meet Sunday, April 6, 2025, at 3 p.m. in the Arboretum's Outdoor Classroom.
The Bloomwood gate opens at 2:30 p.m., so please enjoy a walk before we begin.

PLEASE REGISTER in case we must change venue due to weather.

Discussion with arboretum staff.

"As Indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution ensures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains, “Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.”

We'll have snacks and beverages, and you're welcome to bring your own.

Note that trails are natural and hilly, and restrooms are not available.

Please leave pets at home.

Host or Publisher W. Gordon Belser Arboretum