July – September 2026 | Preparing for COP17
About This Reading Circle
What can plants teach us about community, reciprocity, and our relationship with the Earth?
Over July, August, and September, we invite you to join a reading circle dedicated to Braiding Sweetgrass — Robin Wall Kimmerer’s acclaimed collection of essays that weaves together Indigenous knowledge, ecology, science, and personal storytelling.
As a botanist, professor, and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Kimmerer offers a powerful invitation to rethink our relationship with the natural world — not as conquerors or consumers, but as participants in a web of reciprocal relationships grounded in care, gratitude, and responsibility.
Why This Reading Circle?
This reading circle is part of our preparation for COP17, creating space to explore climate change as a cultural, ethical, and social phenomenon through a feminist and climate justice lens.
We will explore how environmental crises intersect with:
- Gender inequality
- Care work
- Access to resources
- Community resilience
At the same time, we’ll connect global conversations to Armenian experiences and realities — with the understanding that gender shapes both vulnerability to climate change and pathways toward more just and sustainable futures.
What We Hope to Explore
Through our discussions, we aim to:
- Encourage dialogue on climate justice and environmental stewardship
- Explore Indigenous and traditional knowledge systems
- Reflect on Armenia’s environmental challenges and responses
- Build community around sustainability and care
- Examine how climate change and environmental degradation affect women and marginalized communities differently — and why gender justice is essential to climate solutions
- Support meaningful engagement ahead of COP17
About the Author
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist, professor, and an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Her work braids together Indigenous knowledge systems and Western science, arguing that both offer valuable ways of understanding the natural world. Through her writing and teaching, she explores reciprocity, ecological responsibility, and the relationship between people, land, plants, and future generations.
About the Book
Braiding Sweetgrass is a collection of essays that combines memoir, ecology, Indigenous teachings, and scientific observations. The book invites readers to reconsider humanity’s relationship with nature — not as separate from it, but as participants in a network of reciprocal relationships.
Central themes include:
- Gratitude and stewardship
- Community and sustainability
- Environmental justice
- Indigenous knowledge and wisdom
- Reciprocity between people and the living world
Context: Upstate New York & Indigenous Lands
Braiding Sweetgrass is rooted in the landscapes of Upstate New York — the traditional territory of Indigenous peoples including the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The book draws on Indigenous teachings of reciprocity, respect for living beings, and responsibility for future generations. While grounded in a specific place, Kimmerer raises global questions about sustainability and our relationship with the natural world — questions that resonate deeply in Armenia and beyond.
Community Values
We ask all participants to embrace the following values:
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Respect | Honor diverse perspectives and experiences |
| Participation | Show up, share, and listen |
| Learning | Approach with curiosity and openness |
| Care & Reciprocity | Support one another and the land |
| Confidentiality | Create a safe space for dialogue |
| Curiosity | Ask questions and stay engaged |
| Praxis | Connect reflection with action |
Schedule & Meetings
First meeting: Friday, July 3
Format: Biweekly discussions, with August reserved for independent reading and reflection.
| Dates | Activity |
|---|---|
| July 3 | Introduction meeting |
| July 10 | Independent reading: Planting Sweetgrass (p. 3–48) |
| July 17 | Meeting 2: Discussion of first chapter |
| July 24 | Independent reading: Tending Sweetgrass (p. 63–105) |
| July 30 | Meeting 3: Discussion of second chapter |
| August | Independent reading: Picking Sweetgrass (p. 121–175) & Braiding Sweetgrass (p. 205–293) |
| September 7 | Meeting 4: Discussion of third chapter |
| September 14 | Meeting 5: Discussion of fourth chapter |
| September 21 | Group reading of epilogue & closing discussion |
📖 The book is in English, but discussion in Armenian is welcomed and encouraged.
Join Us
No prior knowledge is required — just a willingness to read, reflect, and connect with others.
Ready to join? Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczzdMUyXy2V8talN9YophWKHUeTJxR6SZi1NUG52BGEHiH-w/viewform?usp=preview.
We look forward to growing together. 🌱
