Crabtree Farms Community Book Club – “The Accidental Ecosystem: People and Wildlife in American Cities”

Overview

The Crabtree Farms Community Book Club is a monthly gathering designed to foster thoughtful conversation around food, land, sustainability, health, and community. This program will expand Crabtree’s educational offerings by creating a reflective and relational space that complements hands-on workshops and farm-based growing and learning.

The book club will provide an accessible, welcoming environment for participants to engage with meaningful literature while connecting more deeply to the mission and work of the farm.

October 14: The Accidental Ecosystem: People and Wildlife in American Cities

The Accidental Ecosystem tells the story of how cities across the United States went from having little wildlife to filling, dramatically and unexpectedly, with wild creatures. Today, many of these cities have more wild animals living in them than at any time in at least the past 150 years. Why have so many cities, the most artificial and human-dominated of all Earth’s ecosystems, grown rich with wildlife, even as wildlife has declined in most of the rest of the world? And what does this paradox mean for people, wildlife, and nature on our increasingly urban planet? The Accidental Ecosystem is the first book to explain this phenomenon from a deep historical perspective, focusing on a broad range of species and cities. Digging into the natural history of cities and unpacking our conception of what it means to be wild, this book provides fascinating context for why animals are thriving more in cities than outside of them.

Schedule

Meeting Time: Wednesday, October 14, 5:30-7:30 PM 

Format (2 Hours)

• 5 minutes – Arrival & light refreshments (optional tea or seasonal farm sampling)
• 90 minutes – Guided discussion
• 15 minutes – Reflection activity or connection to the farm
• 10 minutes – Closing and preview of next month’s book

Participants must register monthly up to a week before the start date of the book club.

Themes & Reading Plan:

The club will rotate themes to maintain variety and seasonal relevance.

Books available via the Chattanooga Public Library: https://catalog.chattlibrary.org/GroupedWork/24596cdb-7756-013f-7cb5-4b3574fde7e5-eng/HomesearchId=8304868&recordIndex=1&page=1&searchSource=local&referred=resultIndex.

Crabtree Farms Community Book Club members receive 15% off their order at Book & Cover by using the discount code CURIOUSCRB on their website: https://thebookandcover.com/. Books purchased are for in-store pickup.

About the Facilitator

Rogelio Cerezo serves as Director of Development and Administration at Crabtree Farms, where he supports the organization’s growth, partnerships, and community engagement. Rogelio has a passion for bringing people together through conversation and shared learning. An avid reader, he enjoys books that explore food, nature, culture, and community. Some of his happiest memories involve time spent in his family’s farm and in the gardens of different relatives, these experiences continue to shape his appreciation for the land and the stories that connect us to it. He’s excited to create a welcoming space for thoughtful discussion and connection through the Crabtree Farms Community Book Club.

Donation-based model so free of charge but encouraging of donations to Crabtree.