Celebrating a Future of Caring for Ourselves and the Earth

What are the chances that the two climate books I’ve been so excited for this year are released on the exact same day?

Well, it is happening! On September 17th, 2024 Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s book What if We Get it Right: Visions of Climate Futures is officially out and on the exact same day, Homing: A Quest to Care for Myself and the Earth by Canadian author and environmental climate communicator and podcaster Alice Irene Whittaker is also released. (So curious about the astrological birth chart for these two Virgo books! )

This fall our climate care book club is embracing and celebrating these two new, hot-off-the-presses books (and associated podcast interviews, articles, etc.) so that we can be inspired by the visions, new pathways and possibilities for how we show up for ourselves, our communities and the planet with care.

Author Alice Irene Whittaker joins our bookclub live on Wednesday October 2nd at 8pm ET

On Wednesday October 2nd, 2024 author Alice Irene Whittaker will be joining our book club, live on zoom, to celebrate the publication, discuss the book, and answer our questions about Homing: A Quest to Care for Ourselves and the Earth.

Please join us on Oct 2nd for this special event and meet Alice Irene.

Pre-order your copy of Homing and let’s cozy up for a beautiful conversation with this author and podcaster.

“Homing is a memoir about abandoning an exhausting commuter lifestyle to move to a cabin in the woods, embracing imperfection while cultivating a life of care for self and nature.

Braiding together her personal journey with the stories of others who are tending to the Earth, Alice Irene Whittaker has crafted a lyrical, relatable memoir about regeneration and moving from a life of despair to a life of care.

Searching for the spaces between the sorrow of wildfires and the beauty of wildflowers, Homing is about returning home to our bodies, geographies, communities, and place, all as a part of nature.”
— aliceirenewhittaker.ca

For november and December 2024, we will take our time and enjoy all that Ayana Elizabeth Johnson has on offer for us

If you have been around, you know I have been talking about this upcoming book and this question Dr. Ayana is asking of her contributors for awhile now: What if we get it right? and I am SO thrilled to be adding it to our collection of books we explore together.

“Sometimes the bravest thing we can do while facing an existential crisis is imagine life on the other side. This provocative and joyous book maps an inspiring landscape of possible climate futures.

With clear-eyed essays, vibrant interviews, data, poetry, and art, Ayana guides us through solutions and possibilities at the nexus of science, policy, culture, and justice.”
— getitright.earth

“This book is an anthology of sorts,

A mosaic — 20 interviews, 5 poems, 3 co-authored chapters, 2 artists’ new works, a note from my dad, and a quote from my mom.

It includes visionary farmers and financiers, architects and advocates, producers and policy wonks. Mega brains. All stars.”

- Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

So mark your calendars, pre-order these books and see you soon! We will be gathering live on zoom the following Wednesday evenings at 8pm ET:

  • Wednesday October 2nd at 8pm ET (live with author Alice Irene Whittaker),

  • Wednesday November 6th at 8pm ET, (to discuss What if We Get it Right?)

  • Wednesday December 4th at 8pm ET (to discuss What if We Get it Right? continued)

Stay connected

To get updates on articles, interviews and other content related to the books make sure you are following Plugged In on Instagram and to connect with others in the group to share resources and ideas, please join our slack.

To receive the live zoom link every month please sign up for my newsletter or get in touch directly here. We are always welcoming new folks. Don’t hesitate to reach out. We are in this together!

Looking forward to celebrating a future of caring for ourselves and the climate this fall. See you soon and take good care.

Sliding into our Summer Climate Reads

Hello Sweet Summer! We made it! It’s the first long weekend of the summer, school is out and those beautiful long summer nights have been gracing our skies and hopefully our souls and imaginations too.

My friend Sarah organizes a “loose beach Monday nights” in the summer. It’s totally “loose” - come if and when you want, bring what food you want to share or not. It’s breezy, light, spontaneous and the vibe I’m hoping we can embody for our summer book club too. Zero pressure. Show up if you can. Read/listen/watch what you choose. Enjoy. Share time together.

The loose beach Monday vibe. Super chill. Super breezy. Super beautiful.

It’s time to slide into our summer “choose your own adventure” climate reads (which also include a film!) and connect with an iced tea and oracle card the first Wednesday of the month.

Here’s our Summer 2024 Reading List (choose your own Adventure):

The Overstory by Richard Powers: The Overstory is a sweeping, impassioned work of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of - and paean to - the natural world. From the roots to the crown and back to the seeds, Richard Powers’s twelfth novel unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fables that range from antebellum New York to the late twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us. This is the story of a handful of people who learn how to see that world and who are drawn up into its unfolding catastrophe. A New York Times Bestseller.

The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton: Set in the near future, this hopeful story of survival and resilience follows Wanda—a luminous child born out of a devastating hurricane—as she navigates a rapidly changing world…Told in four parts—power, water, light, and time— The Light Pirate mirrors the rhythms of the elements and the sometimes quick, sometimes slow dissolution of the world as we know it. It is a meditation on the changes we would rather not see, the future we would rather not greet, and a call back to the beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness.

Parable of a Sower by Octavia Butler. In 2024, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future. Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others. When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind.

And for some lightness, a love story: What you won't do for love: When artist Miriam Fernandes approaches David Suzuki to create a theatre piece about climate change, she expects to write about David’s perspective as a scientist. Instead, she discovers the boundless vision and efforts of Tara Cullis, a literature scholar, climate organizer, and David’s life partner. Miriam realizes that David and Tara’s decades-long love for each other, and for family and friends, has only clarified and strengthened their resolve to fight for the planet.

Thank you Catherine Daw for the suggestion and for offering free access through the Collingwood Climate Action Team (CCAT). Stay tuned for that!

So mark your summer calendars and see you soon! We will be gathering live on zoom the following Wednesday evenings at 8pm ET:

  • Wednesday July 3rd at 8pm ET,

  • Wednesday August 7th at 8pm ET, and

  • Wednesday September 4th at 8pm ET

To receive the live zoom link every month, please sign up for my newsletter. See you soon!

Climate Care Book Club Retreat in the blossoming Blue Mountains, May 24-26, 2024

Are you feeling the spark and need to come together? In a circle. Around fires. On hiking trails. Around a dinner table. Surrounded by blossoming trees. Grounded. Digging deep personally and collectively. Being really honest. Creating. Moving. Hearts open. Diving deeper into the climate care ideas and inspiration that we explore in our monthly book club?

Our book club is gathering Friday evening May 24 - Sunday May 26 at my home in Thornbury, Ontario to do just this.

Giving ourselves the nourishment, grace and space for joy, connection and inspiration in the beautiful Blue Mountains, on the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.

Our loose itinerary will include:

  • sharing meals (including a vegetarian potluck on Saturday),

  • a hike through the trilliums on my fave section of the Bruce Trail,

  • a stop into local craft Spy cidery surrounded by acres of apple orchards in blossom,

  • a bonfire, and

  • a Sunday morning screen printing workshop with the talented Jennifer Wabegijig owner and designer of Thornbury based Wild and Glorious ($75/pp).

If you are interested in joining us, please fill out the info survey below so we can coordinate logistics.

Our first self care for climate care retreat in Thornbury, Ontario at the Imagination Studio. Thanks for the photo Ashley Green! June 2022.

"What we need are systems that light up our better selves, the parts of ourselves that want to look outward at a world in crisis and join the work or repair, systems that make it easier, in ways big and small, for care to win the battle over uncare."

- Naomi Klein, Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World

Awakening, Curiosity, & Optimism: Spring 2024 Book Club

After a Winter that was not as snowy, cold, and deep as we are used to - a season that brought up worry, concern and dread for many of us - we turn slowly and gently towards Spring.

The Spring Equinox is next week. The animals are waking and exploring the land, the birds returning, the sap running, the flowers and buds preparing and we too find ourselves awakening.

Awakening with curiosity, wonder, worry. Perhaps awakening with a fresh sense of purpose and optimism for what this season will offer. Awakening to what the collective can achieve when we come together. Awakening to the feminist climate renaissance we need to support a just, beautiful, connected, regenerative relationship with each other, the planet, and all living beings.

This spring, our climate care book club is exploring themes of Awakening, Curiosity & optimism and you are welcome to join us at any point.

As usual, we will turn to books and podcasts for inspiration, but most importantly connect, share, and integrate live during our monthly calls to integrate the lessons of awakening that Spring offers. We have collected some books and podcasts to inspire. These books and podcasts are options - a menu for your “choose your own adventure” spring 2024 climate care book club adventure.

BOOKS TO SUPPORT YOUR spring awakening

A little more about the books (C/o Good Reads summaries)

The Future We Choose by Christina Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac

In The Future We Choose, Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac--who led negotiations for the United Nations during the historic Paris Agreement of 2015--have written a cautionary but optimistic book about the world's changing climate and the fate of humanity.

The authors outline two possible scenarios for our planet. In one, they describe what life on Earth will be like by 2050 if we fail to meet the Paris climate targets. In the other, they lay out what it will be like to live in a carbon neutral, regenerative world. They argue for confronting the climate crisis head-on, with determination and optimism. The Future We Choose presents our options and tells us what governments, corporations, and each of us can and must do to fend off disaster.

Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet by Thich Nhat Hanh

In this masterful work, one of the most revered spiritual leaders in the world today shares his wisdom on how to be the change we want to see in the world.

In these troubling times we all yearn for a better world. But many of us feel powerless and uncertain what we can do. Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) is blazingly clear: there’s one thing that we have the power to change—and which can make all the difference: our mind. How we see and think about things determines all the choices we make, the everyday actions we take (or avoid), how we relate to those we love (or oppose), and how we react in a crisis or when things don’t go our way.

Filled with powerful examples of engaged action he himself has undertaken, inspiring Buddhist parables, and accessible daily meditations, this powerful spiritual guide offers us a path forward, opening us to the possibilities of change and how we can contribute to the collective awakening and environmental revolution our fractured world so desperately needs. 

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Well Kimmerer (back on our reading list by popular demand!)

As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return.

Podcasts to supporT your spring awakening

A little more about the podcasts (c/o of Spotify Summaries)

Our Story of Nature: A 3-Part Mini-Series on the Optimism and Outrage Podcast

Christiana Figueres introduces a new mini-series, Our Story of Nature: From Rupture to Reconnection. Over three episodes, Christiana and guests will shine a light on our relationship with the rest of nature. Does transforming our connection with the natural world hold the key to transforming our response to the multiple environmental, political and social crises we face?

Ecological Hope & Spiritual Evolution with Christina Figueres on the On Being podcast

The ecological crisis we are standing before is at once civilizational and personal — intimately close to each of us in the places we love and inhabit, and unfolding at a species level. And as much as anyone alive on the planet now, Christiana Figueres has felt the overwhelm of this and stepped into service. She gives voice so eloquently to the grief that we feel and must allow to bind us to each other — and what she sees as a spiritual evolution the natural world is calling us to.

Hope is the Power of Plants & Indigenous Knowledge - Robin Wall Kimmerer on the Jane Goodall Podcast

Join Dr. Goodall as she speaks with author, botanist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Robin Wall Kimmerer. In this thoughtful conversation, Jane and Robin consider how much more there is to not only learn about plants, but to learn from them as well. The pair also focus on the urgent need to encourage a reconnection with the natural world through stories, in order to prevent the ills facing our world. As Robin succinctly puts it, “in my own evolution I have gone from scientist to storyteller because it feels like that’s what we need right now.”

GATHERING, CONNECTING & SHARING

Connecting live is the best! Here we are live and in person, Spring 2023.

Connecting live reminds us that we are not alone, inspires cross-pollination of ideas, resources and opportunities. There is magic that happens during our live connections as our collective wisdom, learning and curiosities expand. It’s a beautiful and powerful time and we will continue to meet monthly online on the first Wednesday of the month at 8pm ET.



So mark your calendars, we will be gathering live the following Wednesday evenings at 8pm ET:

  • Wednesday April 3rd at 8pm,

  • Wednesday May 1st at 8pm, and

  • Wednesday June 5th at 8pm

Join us on Slack! We have a few slack channels that are active and open for sharing reflections, new resources, playlists, content so that you can continue to engage in between our live gatherings. Invite to our Slack Group (available on an app or your computer).

Rest, Reflection & Retreat: Our Theme of Inquiry this Winter 2024

The snow is falling and I am so grateful for the quiet blanket it offers. The silence it brings. The peace. The dark mornings and evenings are feeling so needed. They are right on time. The darkness helps me to hold space for my own mini hibernation - my own wintering - even if it's only for a few minutes at a time. They start to add up to the nourishment I need.

Our climate care book club has chosen to embrace the theme of rest this winter (blissfully!).

We are going to read books and articles, listen to podcasts, but most importantly share, practice and integrate lessons from nature on the theme of rest. How good does that feel? Rest, reflection, and retreat are the self care for climate care medicines I will be gently leaning into and welcoming with a warm hug as we head into the winter solstice and season on December 21st, 2023. Join us as we explore the theme of rest this winter.

Books & Resources to Support your wintering

Katherine May, in her book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times shares how uncomfortable and powerful these seasons of wintering can be. Krista Tippet interviewed Katherine on the On Being podcast:

"In so many stories and fables that shape us, cold and snow, the closing in of the light — these have deep psychological as much as physical reality. This is “wintering,” as the English writer Katherine May illuminates in her beautiful, meditative book of that title — at once a season of the natural world, a respite our bodies require, and a state of mind". 

Tricia Hersey's book Rest as Resistance: A Manifesto and her interview on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast "No More Grind: How to Finally Rest with Tricia Hersey" will also provide support as we explore rest this winter. Tricia is the founder and creator of the The Nap Ministry and this book is:

"a battle cry, a guidebook, a map for a movement and a field guide for the weary and hopeful. It is rooted in spiritual energy and centered in Black liberation, womanism, somatics, and Afrofuturism...informed by her deep experience in theology, activism, and performance art."

There is an oracle deck: 50 practices to resist grind culture coming out in April 2024.  

Kate Northrup refers to the energy of winter as the Fertile Void, a creative phase where we rest, hang out in the unknown, re-evaluate, lay fallow, pause. Similar energy to the new moon, and the phase of the menstrual cycle where we bleed: "When we're in the Fertile Void it often feels deeply uncomfortable, both because taking a break for contemplation, integration and rest isn't valued by our culture, but also because it takes pressure to create a diamond." Kate's Book Do Less, has been a long time favourite of mine and supports our practice of rethinking our connection time and the cycles of our body.

Finally, Kaitlin Curtis' new beautifully illustrated children's book Winter's Gifts, is about an Indigenous Potawatomi girl who finds awe in resting and waiting that winter teaches us and shares with her friend how a gift of gratitude can transform the way we see the world: 

"Discover how winter teaches us to rest, remember and be thankful." 

As an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, Kaitlin Curtice writes on the intersections of Indigenous spirituality, identity, and decolonization. 

Gathering, CONNECTING & SHARING

What became clear in our book club* call earlier in December is how important sharing time, space, and resources are. Connecting live reminds us that we are not alone, inspires cross-pollination of ideas, exploration of ideas, and sharing of our collective wisdom, learning and knowledge. It’s a beautiful and powerful time and we will continue to meet monthly online on the first Wednesday of the month at 8pm ET.

So mark your new 2024 calendars, we will be gathering live this winter to explore the theme of rest on the following Wednesday evenings at 8pm ET:

  • Wednesday January 3rd at 8pm,

  • Wednesday February 7th at 8pm, and

  • Wednesday March 6th at 8pm.

Join us on Slack! We have a few slack channels that are active and open for sharing reflections, new resources, playlists, content so that you can continue to engage in between our live gatherings. Invite to our Slack Group (available on an app or your computer) and some channels to check out:

*Note: I am using “book club” loosely as we acknowledged that this community has become so much more than a book club. Books are a touchstone for our conversations, they are a starting point, but our conversations go further and deeper than the books themselves (so if you don’t get to the books don’t worry!). It’s engaging on the theme that has been most supportive. We are a community of folks who care for the climate and for our communities and are curious about how to engage deeply and thoughtfully in ways that support our personal and collective well being.

light your fire

So I invite you to light your fire or candle, make some yummy tea, grab a cozy blanket and settle in for a season of rest with us. This is the nourishment that we need so that we can be resourced, ready and clear on how we can support planetary and climate justice in the months and year ahead.

Take good restful care, happy winter solstice and look forward to connecting again in 2024.

Megan xo

December's Book Club: Reading Wishlists & Other Desires for 2024

The days are getting shorter, cooler, darker and my heart, mind and body are hurting and heavy. My immune system is fighting the latest cold/virus and I’m trying to stay off of Instagram as we find ourselves (again) in unbelievable and heartbreaking times. Times that are calling on our courage, wisdom, hope, imagination and love.

As I sip my 4th cup of hot ginger/lemon/echinacea tea today, I sigh as I appreciate the brilliant title of Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s book which comes out July 16, 2024: What If We Get It Right? (I’ve pre-ordered my copy from my local beloved bookshop, Jessica’s Book Book).

Thankful for tea

When so much is going terribly wrong in the world, this question - what if we get it right? - fills me with so much peace. I notice how just reading the title provides relief in my body. Asking the question itself is calming. What if we get it right?

“Sometimes the bravest thing we can do while facing an existential crisis is imagine life on the other side. This provocative and joyous book maps an inspiring landscape of possible climate futures.

With grace, humor, and humanity, Ayana invites readers to ask and answer this ultimate question, together: What if we get it right?”

This book is high on my reading wishlist for 2024 and I would love to discuss with the book club.

When we meet next on Tuesday December 5th at 8pm ET (note it’s a Tuesday this month), let’s discuss what we collectively want and need from this group in 2024. I am so curious:

  • What books or articles do we want to read?

  • What podcasts do we want to listen to?

  • What events do we want to experience together?

  • How do we want to share and connect on climate, self, and community care?

  • What is feeling good about this group, how it’s organized and how could it be better or different for us in 2024?

Let’s practice radical imagination, creativity and visioning for this group and see how good it can get!

I feel better already. Thank you for being here. Hope to see you on Tuesday December 5th. But before you leave - a few amazing community updates, offerings and gratitude. xo

Community updates: Land Heart Song releases new Album

Tiiu Strutt, Land Heart Song, released her new, beautiful (first!) children’s full-length album “Songs for Tree” in early November. Caylin, Karine and I were there to enjoy the show and celebrate with her. We had so much fun (animal puppets and all)! This album is joyful, hopeful and uplifting. Please go listen to it, save it, sing along with the littles in your life. Congrats Tiiu!

Community updates: HeartWood Healing Arts free 5 day practice Nov 27-Dec 1

Our bookclub member Diane, who leads us through meditations at the beginning of our bookclub gatherings and has offered Qigong at our retreats is now inviting us to uplevel LOVE during these challenging times with a FREE 5-DAY Heroine's Journey Challenge to LET LOVE WIN!  The journey starts Monday November 27th and runs through Friday December 1st, 2023.

Diane Gribbin (she/her), Founding Director of HeartWood Healing Arts Eco Wellness Centre, The Somatic Accelerated Melt Healing Program, HeartWood Qigong Instructor Certification Program, and the LET LOVE WIN global Movement and Community, is sharing this beautiful FREE offer. 

 ♡ An invitation to uplevel LOVE! ♡

♡ This is how it works: You will receive a free 15min video delivered to your inbox each day that will invite you into peaceful guided meditation, embodied ancient movement, and writing to open your hearts, reset your nervous systems, and unleash untapped vitality, resiliency & creativity!

As wild-hearted women who deeply care, our concerns for our planet affect us profoundly whether we are consciously aware and engaged with the feelings or not. As we lovingly bridge within, we gain access to new resiliency, CREATIVITY and the vitality we need to vision forward heart first!”

- Diane Gribbin, Heartwood Healing Arts

5 day challenge to let love win.

Thank you Diane for sharing this beautiful opportunity with us.

Thank You for listening & the Support

Finally, thank you for your support and listening to the Finding Joy in Climate Solutions episode with Jinhwa Hwong-Ambrose - we are hearing that it is helpful, accessible, inspiring, and especially relevant in these difficult times. Oh and Dr. Ayana Elizabeth is cheering Jinhwa on for this work, which made both of our days!! Did you listen to the latest podcast episode yet? What did you think? Drop me a line to let me know! Thanks all.

Fall 2023: Book Talk with Author & Migrating Geese

I love the sound of migrating geese in September. Their honking, their wings flapping low overhead, the splashing sounds they make as they land on the Beaver River behind our house. The migration lasts for weeks and I wonder how many geese pass through this watershed each season.

Their night honking has been comforting me lately as I toss and turn under the dark of the moon.

I keep the windows open and wrap myself in the sounds of their community chatter, departures and landings.

So much about living here is supportive to my nervous system and I am leaning into it all right now.

i am loving the sound of migrating geese.

I keep the windows open and let myself be wrapped in the sounds of their community chatter, departures and landings.

Climate Care Book for Fall 2023

With a new season comes a new book. Hope you can join us on Wednesday November 1st at 8pm ET (on zoom) for a book talk with Dr. Emily Eaton, one of the six authors of The End of this World: Climate Justice in So-Called Canada.

Join us for a Q&A with the Author

Emily Eaton co-authored The End of this World with Angele Alook, David Gray-Donald, Joël Laforest, Crystal Lameman, and Bronwen Tucker. Emily will join us for a Q&A discussion on Wednesday November 1st, 2023.

our fall 2023 climate book

“Together, they envision a near future where oil and gas stay in the ground; where a caring economy provides social supports for all; where wealth is redistributed from the bloated billionaire class; and where stolen land is rightfully reclaimed under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples.

Packed with clear-eyed analysis of both short- and long-term strategies for radical social change, The End of This World promises that the next world is within reach and worth fighting for.”

finding joy in climate solutions Podcast coming Fall 2023

Stay tuned, Jinhwa Hwong-Ambrose and I recorded a Plugged In episode this past Friday, discussing where and how to find our personal joy and delight in climate solutions, vis-à-vis Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s Climate Action Venn Diagram. We are practicing re-imagining the future we want…and it felt good!

Finding joy in climate solutions

New podcast episode coming Fall 2023.

Thank you for the Support

I love hearing and connecting with you all so much. Your support and encouragement mean the world. Thank you. xo

August's Invitation to Slow Down

Fresh local peaches on my cereal. The sun is hot and my skin has darkened.

The roses, the gladiolus, the sunflowers, the beautiful red flowers that attract the humming birds - a Crosomia ‘Lucifer’ - I learn.

Signs for Sweet Corn for sale on the roadside.

Frequenting our local ice cream shop.

Zucchini recipes circulating as we try to bake our way through an abundant harvest.

Neighbours and family offering fresh vegetables and berries from their overflowing gardens.

We are so lucky. What a time and season to be alive.

And also, the energy of August can feel slow and heavy sometimes.

The humidity, thunderstorms, more frequent tornado warnings and the incessant news of unprecedented wildfires.

It seems to be, for me, a time for contemplation, reflection, and re-orientation as we prepare for September and the “back-to-school” vibes that are coming.

August feels like an invitation to slow down. And I take her up on that invitation as often as I can.

What does August feel like for you this year?

In the spirit of going slow, this summer’s climate book club offerings are intended to be gentle and supportive. We will meet on Wednesday September 6th at 8pm ET on zoom to ease ourselves back into the “back-to-school” energy of September with some hopeful readings and podcasts to discuss.

  1. What we are reading: “Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility” an edited compilation by Rebecca Solnit & Thelma Young Lutunatabua. More info on this book and study guide available here: https://www.nottoolateclimate.com/

  2. What we are listening to: “Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet” on the Way Out Is In podcast, recommended by the All We Can Save Project. (Would love to add the book this podcast is about to our reading list for 2024).

In October & November 2023 we will dive into The End of this World: Climate Justice in So-Called Canada: a book by Angele Alook, Emily Easton, David Gray-Donald, Joel Laforest, Crystal Lameman and Bronwen Tucker.

Have you listened to the Climate emotions episode yet?

I am so proud of the “Exploring our (Climate) Emotions as Energy Professionals” episode released in late May. So glad to hear it is resonating for you too Jeanine and thank you for sharing what it meant to you.

Have you listened to this episode yet?

Finally, I’ve been thinking about how I want to ripple the impact, expand the reach and continue to support this ongoing work, and your contributions are valuable. Here’s how you can help:

1. Invite a friend to join our book club.

2. Send me a testimonial that I can share that describes how this work impacts you.

3. Share Plugged In content on your socials.

4. Make a donation at www.buymeacoffee.com/pluggedin.

5. Sponsor an episode of the Plugged In podcast.

Your contributions and collaborations are valuable. Thank you for your support and for being here!

Remembering Spring’s Possibilities

Remembering Spring

Spring feels like a deep beautiful remembering.

I forgot how vibrant the greens are at Beltane on this land.

How precious the magnolias, daffodils and tulips are after a long winter.

How soft the moss feels under foot.

I forgot how loud the chorus of birds is at dawn.

How good the sun can feel on my face.

Every spring I am shown. I am reminded. Of the possibility. Of the sweetness. Of the freshness.

With awe, I am reminded of the new beginnings in every view.

The month of May catches me off guard with its beauty. Every year. As seasons do.

Thank you land for all your seasonal offerings. Right on time.

Thank you for the reminder sweet spring, of this season of possibility.

Thank you for reminding me of my nature and the season of possibility that is awakening.

Perhaps it was the combination of both the beauty of spring and the brilliant voices in my ears as I prepped the next podcast episode, because I am feeling so jazzed by all the possibility bursting around me right now and as always, I look forward to sharing these ideas with you.

Thank you Jinhwa!

First some gratitude. Thank you Jinhwa Hwong-Ambrose for hosting and offering our Finding Joy in Climate Solutions workshop on May 3rd. We had an amazing turn out and a wide diversity of Climate Venn Diagrams created! I found it so supportive, hope you did too. If you haven’t had a chance to fill out her feedback survey, please do!

June’s “Book Club” Gathering

Our last gathering before we take a break for the summer will be on Wednesday June 7th at 8pm ET on zoom. Let’s reflect, share and connect on what has been emerging for us this past season. Some ideas on themes and topics for discussion are listed below.

Haven’t been able to join us yet recently?

No worries. This would be a perfect time to drop in and connect before we break for the summer. All are welcome.

  • Climate Possibility:

    • Finding Joy in Climate Solutions. Did the Climate Venn diagram exercise ignite any new possibilities for you? Have fresh insights or dreams emerged that would be supportive to be witnessed by our group?

    • Self Care for Climate Care. What questions do you have about how to integrate more self care for climate care into your life? (remembering adrienne marie brown’s wisdom: “What is easy is sustainable. Birds coast while they can”)

  • Climate Emotions

    • The Plugged In Podcast episode I recoded in New Orleans on March 1st will be released later in May and I would love to hold some space to discuss. Stay tuned for the episode!

  • Climate Justice

    • Rehearsals for Living Book Launch: I learned so much from reading Robyn Maynard and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson this spring. What a sweet treat to meet them in person (have my book signed!) and hear them read and share their brilliance live in April.

yay, in person!

In person connection at the Rehearsals for Living book launch event in Toronto on April 19, 2023.

Summer Reading List (Books!)

A few books to add to your summer reading list that we can discuss in our fall gatherings. Have a suggestion? Let me know what book you’d like us to explore as we head into the fall.

  1. Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility: a collection of essays edited by Rebecca Solnit & Thelma Young Lutunatabua. More info on this book and study guide available here: https://www.nottoolateclimate.com/

  2. The End of this World: Climate Justice in So-Called Canada: a book by Angele Alook, Emily Easton, David Gray-Donald, Joel Laforest, Crystal Lameman and Bronwen Tucker.

Summer Listening List (Podcasts!)

  1. Plugged In Podcast episode recorded in front of a live audience in New Orleans on the topic of "exploring our climate emotions as energy services professionals" will be released later this month. This question took us deep into the work of climate justice, the impacts that systemic racism and colonization have, and how important it is to care for our bodies and emotions.  

  2. The Case for Climate Hope: on the Science of Happiness Podcast (Rebecca Solnit, author of 'It's Not Too Late" joins the Science of Happiness podcast: In the first episode in our series Climate, Hope and Science, we explore how embracing uncertainty enables us to move beyond climate anxiety and despair to hope and action, with author and activist Rebecca Solnit.)

Plugged In podcast LIVE in New orleans

On stage recording the live episode with Larissa Crawford, Jhane Wilcox and Pamela Fann at the AESP Annual conference.

“Having hope and maintaining hope is a chore. And that’s something we should be honest about. Right, it’s work. It is not easy to be hopeful all the time. That’s the beautiful part about having people around you who are encouraging and who are constantly reminding you that you are built for this moment, that you are meant for this moment that you are right for this moment.””
— Tarana Burke, in conversation with Ai-Jen Poo

May's book club: Finding Joy in Climate Solutions workshop with Jinhwa Hwong-Ambrose

Spring is here and bursting with life on the beautiful lands of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (Historic Treaty 18).

Daffodils are shooting up, birds are busy building their nests, buds on the trees are taking shape, it feels like that moment where everything around me (plants, trees, flowers especially) are about to explode, bloom and expand with life. And I am feeling it deep in my body too. Wow. What a time of expansion.

I felt this bursting of excitement this past week during our book club gathering when five (!) new faces and voices joined our gathering to discuss Emergent Strategy by adrienne marie brown. It was fresh, emergent and perfect.

“Dandelions don’t know whether they are a weed or a brilliance. But each seed can create a field of dandelions. We are invited to be that prolific. And to return fertility to the soil around us.” - adrienne marie brown

there are a number of offerings I’m delighted to share with you over the coming weeks to support your climate connections.

First up: We have a guest speaker, Jinhwa Hwong-Ambrose, who will be leading a workshop for us on Finding Joy in Climate Solutions on Wednesday May 3rd 8pm ET. Thank you Jinhwa for offering this to our community!

In our book club community we have discussed and shared thoughts on how we can bring our strengths and passions to the work of addressing climate change and this workshop will provide us with additional structure, support and tools to fully explore this question.

This workshop uses the Climate Action Venn Diagram, developed by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (co-editor of the book All We Can Save that started this book circle), to help you connect your strengths and passions with the climate solutions that interest you. You will be supported as you explore the diagram's three circles - what brings you joy, what you are good at, and what work needs doing.

To support our experience with the workshop, Jinhwa suggests we watch Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s short Ted Talk on How to Find Joy in Climate Action (link below) in advance.

Please bring a notebook and something to write with on Wednesday May 3rd.

No registration necessary, zoom link will be sent out the week of May 1st. Hope you can join us!

Thank you Jinhwa for offering us this important workshop for our May book club gathering.

Jinhwa Hwong-Ambrose is a parent and climate organizer living on unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territory in what is currently called Vancouver. She is originally from the Rideau Lakes District of rural Ontario. She has advocated for stronger climate policy alongside members of Babies for Climate Action and For Our Kids Vancouver and is passionate about supporting people on their climate journey.

Book Launch Events for books we are reading in 2023

Join a live in-person book launch/book tour event to support the work and authors of Rehearsals for Living and The End of This World. Details and links to registration below.

NEW DATE! Please join the WGSI in celebrating the launch of Robyn Maynard and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson's book Rehearsals for Living.

The End of This World: Climate Justice in So-Called Canada, By Angele Alook, Emily Eaton, David Gray-Donald, Joël Laforest, Crystal Lameman and Bronwen Tucker

Hope to connect with you this spring and wishing you a season of growth, flow, ease and beauty.

Warmly,

Megan

“What is easy is sustainable. Birds coast when they can.” - adrienne marie brown

A weekend of song writing, hiking, Qigong and self care for climate care: an emergent process in practice.

I am feeling nourished, inspired and connected after leading a self care for climate care retreat last weekend with an incredible group of women.

We learned, shared, honoured and witnessed what self care for climate care could look like and the full spectrum of climate emotions that need our care. It was emergent, collaborative and supportive.

We explored the melting forests around Sugar Ridge on the beautiful lands and traditional territories of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ , Wendake-Nionwentsïo, Haudenosaunee and Mississauga (on Treaty 18).

We wrote a beautiful song and created art with the supportive guidance and mentorship of Tiiu Strutt of Land Heart Song.

We practiced Qigong in the morning as the bright sun came up with Diane Gribbin of HeartWood Healing Arts.

It was all magical. I am so grateful for everyone who joined us and shared in the experience so generously. The gifts from the weekend are still landing for me and I hope will continue to ripple for all.

“There is nothing more radical than caring.” - Gloria Steinem

Our next climate care collective book club is Wednesday April 12th at 8pm ET on zoom. We will consider what adrienne marie brown’s book Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds can offer as ongoing inspiration, structure and tools for supporting self care for climate care in community.

Everyone is welcome to join our book club at anytime. To receive updates about the monthly book club and other events and offerings, please subscribe to my newsletter below.

Feeling our climate emotions in New Orleans

This past week I organized and moderated an important conversation on the topic of climate emotions at the Annual conference for the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) with guests Larissa Crawford (She/Elle), Jhane Wilcox, MBA and Pamela Fann, CDP, CDT.

We were in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana (a region traditionally known by the Choctaw as “Bulbancha”), a place where there is a lot to learn and acknowledge about climate impact, injustice and emotions.

This session was recorded for the Plugged In podcast, so stay tuned for it’s release later this spring.

The discussion was honest, vulnerable and we covered:

💜 What triggers climate emotions in our work and how they are felt in the body.

💚 How we can care for ourselves and colleagues.

💛 How systemic racism, sexism, and ableism impact the lived experience of climate emotions.

💜 How we can harness our climate emotions to deliver impactful climate justice work.

💚 How we can do things differently at conferences and in our workplaces to reduce harm and support the climate emotions of ourselves and colleagues.

It was a powerful experience to be on stage with these incredible women, as they shared generously their personal stories and lived experiences with climate emotions - specifically the harm that systemic racism and colonialism have caused. There was a lot of learning happening in that room.

The ability to ripple this conversation through the podcast so others can learn from these women and their stories feels really good.

Grateful for the support of the AESP's Women in Energy Group and planning committee, thank you Jennifer Lee and team.

Resources to support our climate emotions. Thanks to the All We Can Save Project for curating many of these and to the panel guests for contributing resources as well.

This handout was available at the event and designed to support participants at the session with resources for climate emotions. Hope you find it helpful too.

Looking to connect with others for supportive climate conversations?

Join our free online climate care book club collective for a special International Women’s Day gathering on Wednesday March 8th at 8pm ET on zoom. Come with your favourite quote, inspiration, story, idea c/o your favourite climate feminist to share. Extra love if it comes from one of the books we are reading this season: Rehearsals for Living, Emergent Strategy, or New Republic of the Heart.

Want to join us in-person for our upcoming Self Care for Climate Care retreat March 31 - April 2 in Midland, Ontario at the Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre?

Registration for the retreat is open now and details on itinerary and content available here. Would love to see you there for connection, collaboration and some self care for climate care!

Take care and hope to see you soon for climate care and connection.

Spring Self Care for Climate Care Retreat Details & Registration

What would a weekend this spring of radical self-care for climate care look like for you?  

What connections could we make? What inspirations will emerge? What would deep restoration feel like? How good could it feel? How beautiful? 

These are some of the questions that guided the creation of this Self Care for Climate Care retreat weekend.   

We will be gathering March 31 – April 2, 2023 at Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre, near Midland Ontario, on Treaty 16 (1815), lands of the Anishinabewaki, Wendake-Nionwensio, Haudenosaunee, and the Mississauga.   

 

This is a collaboration (in true climate feminism spirit) between myself, Megan Bennett, of Plugged in Podcast, alongside Diane Gribbin founder of Heartwood Healing Arts and Tiiu Strutt, founder of Land Heart Song.  

We have joyfully put together the following offerings for you. It is all optional and an invitation. You get to choose what feels good. Have something you would like to offer? Please let us know and we would love to weave it in.

Plans may change slightly as we feel into it further, but here is a taste:  

Self-Care for Climate Care Program 

Friday March 31, 2023 

3-5 pm          Welcome and settle in to your cabin 

5:00              Opening & welcoming circle 

6:00              Dinner  

7:00              Qi-Gong led by Diane and an evening meditation 

Saturday April 1, 2023 

8:00              Morning circle – may include meditation, QiGong, movement to melt 

9:00              Breakfast 

10:00            Self Care for Climate Care - A sharing and resourcing circle led by Megan

12 pm           Lunch & relax 

1:30              Hike & explore - land based movement on the land 

2:30              Free time/ Integration 

4:30              Reflecting through the arts with Tiiu. Explore expression through song and painting.  

6:00              Dinner 

7:00              Evening program may include campfire and song, cozying up with a movie/doc, dance party or another offering that emerges. Let's see what feels good!   

Sunday April 2nd, 2023 

8:00am        Morning meditation/Qi-gong/movement 

9:00             Breakfast & pack up your cabin 

10:30           Closing circle & song 

12pm           Lunch  

Accommodation & Meals: 

We will be staying in shared cabins, some details can be found here.  

All meals will be vegetarian. Sugar Ridge can accommodate dietary needs. 

Fees & Registration: 

This is an all-inclusive weekend – accommodation, meals and honouring the programming included for $510 + HST. 

You can register and pay through this link.  

Spaces are limited so book soon to reserve your spot. 

““Attending last year’s Self Care for Climate Care retreat was one of the highlights of my 2022. I am grateful to spend time together and feel the full presence of these amazing women in our book club, not to mention also to experience the beautiful Georgian Bay. The weekend was filled with everyone’s generosity in sharing - sharing of stories, songs, books, food, music and art left me feeling nourished and inspired for the remainder of the summer. Excited to be joining this retreat in the Spring!” ”
— Caylin

Paddling the Big Canoe on Georgian Bay, June 2022 Retreat.

QiGong with Diane on the shores of Georgian Bay, June 2022.

Songs in circle with Tiiu, June retreat 2022.

Winter & Spring 2023 Climate Care Circle Offerings

Happy New Year climate curious book club/community/friends, 

I hope everyone has had a restorative holiday season and those vibes are continuing with you into the new year. 

My heart has been aching a bit with this green, warm, wet week in January we are experiencing in the Blue Mountains - when the trails should be loaded with snow at this time of year, we have mud. It doesn't feel right...mother nature reminding us we have work to do perhaps? How about you? How are you feeling?

There should be snow in these hills!

To help support us all in our climate and justice work, I'm thrilled to have some offerings to share over the next months:

Save the Date for Self Care for Climate Care Retreat - Spring 2023 Edition!!

March 31- April 2nd, 2023 at Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre near Midland, Ontario. Join us for some deep self care, restoration and connection so we can continue to show up for the work we are each being called to do with ease, joy and energy. QiGong, song, time for connecting and movement in nature will be included in this special retreat . Details to come shortly. Yay!

What we created at the Imagination Studio in June 2022 at our first retreat.

 Winter 2023 Self Care for Climate Care playlist - a collection of songs on Spotify I have been loving in the dark mornings and evenings of the season - enjoy!

 Listening/Podcast options:

 Winter Reading & Gathering Options - Gather on zoom Wed February 1st, March 8th & April 5th at 8pm ET. 

You are invited to choose one of the following 3 books to read this winter/spring (or all!). Each selected to encourage deep reflection into our personal work, leadership and connection for the planet and climate justice. Thank you to those who have recommended these books. 

1. Rehearsals for Living : by Robyn Maynard and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson: 

A revolutionary collaboration about the world we're living in now, between two of our most important contemporary thinkers, writers and activists.

2. A New Republic of the Heart: An Ethos of Revolutionaries - A guide to Inner Work for Holistic Change by Terry Patten

In the midst of today’s many global crises, many of us recognize the need for change, both in ourselves and in our social and political institutions, in order to build a truly sustainable future. In A New Republic of the Heart: An Ethos for Revolutionaries, Terry Patten sheds new light on this issue, providing a practical approach to “being the change” that the world needs now more than ever.

3. Emergent Strategy by adrienne marie brown

Inspired by Octavia Butler's explorations of our human relationship to change, Emergent Strategy is radical self-help, society-help, and planet-help designed to shape the futures we want to live. Change is constant. The world is in a continual state of flux. It is a stream of ever-mutating, emergent patterns. Rather than steel ourselves against such change, this book invites us to feel, map, assess, and learn from the swirling patterns around us in order to better understand and influence them as they happen. This is a resolutely materialist “spirituality” based equally on science and science fiction, a visionary incantation to transform that which ultimately transforms us.

Hope these offerings feel good and we have a chance to connect soon. Let me know what you think!

What we read in 2022!

Talk soon and take care,

Megan

ps. I'll be recording a live Plugged In podcast episode at the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) national conference in New Orleans on the topic of Feeling our Climate Emotions on March 1st, 4-5pm. Let me know if you will be there!