Nature Book Club to discuss 'The Golden Spruce' by John Vaillant in May 23 meeting at Shikellamy Park

The next Nature Book Club meeting is May 23 at 7 p.m. at Shikellamy State Park.  (Note that the May meeting is NOT on the usual last Monday of every-other month to avoid Memorial Day.)

The book up for discussion is The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed by John Vaillant. According to a synopsis for the book: "When a shattered kayak and camping gear are found on an island, they reignite a mystery of a protest.  Five months earlier, Grant Hadwin jumped into a river towing a chainsaw.  When his work was done, a unique 165-foot Sitka spruce covered with luminous golden needles, teetered on its stump.  Two days later it fell." 

Grace Jaskiewicz will lead the discussion.

The May 23 Nature Book Club session is free and open to the public, but it would help to know how many to expect. Please fill out the following form if you can attend the meeting:

Future books and meeting dates include:

• July 25, 2022, The Heart of a Lion, by William Stolzenberg.  (Retraces a mountain lion's two-year journey - from his embattled birthplace in the Black Hills, across the Great Plains and the Mississippi River, through Midwest cities and northern forests, to Connecticut.) Dave Hafer will lead the discussion at Shikellamy State Park.
• September 26, 2022:   Fishing Lessons by Kevin Baily.  (Artisanal fisheries around the world and the future of our oceans.)   Kathy Henne will lead the discussion, back at the MSRKA office.
• November 28, 2022: Up to Heaven and Down to Hell by Colin Jerolmack.  This NYU sociology prof spent 9 months living in Williamsport and interviewing people potentially affected by nearby fracking, including many who were approached to sell the mineral rights under their land.  What he found about community action surprised him, but can be explained as consistent. Ann Fisher will lead the discussion at the MSRKA office.

​If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about the club, send us an email at [email protected]