Upcoming Events

The Local Return Book Club is reading The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, a beautiful and powerful epistle on reciprocity — and its role in our economy — by Robin Wall Kimmerer, the author of Braiding Sweetgrass.

Pick up a copy of the book from your local library or favorite local, independently-owned bookstore, and join us for a discussion of the book.

Tuesday, November 17, 2026
6:00-7:30 p.m.
Warwick Public Library Idea Studio
600 Sandy Lane, Warwick

Register here

From the publisher:

“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.”