Nature Book Club: August 2026

The Brushwood Nature Book Club is a space to talk about and explore nature literature in a friendly environment. Each meeting includes discussion, creative writing, and/or art activities to engage with the themes of the chosen book, led by Brushwood’s Poet-in-Residence Kathryn Haydon, and writer-artist Megan Donahue. 

This summer, we're revisiting some of the classics of American nature literature and exploring how they resonate today. 

Our August book is My First Summer in the Sierra, by John Muir. It was published in 1911, based on field notes from an 1869 trip Muir made to the Sierra Nevada, traveling with a shepherd and flock of sheep. The book was influential in popularizing the (complicated) idea of an American wilderness, and was crucial in building public support for the preservation of Yosemite National Park.