Collaborative naturalist book club starting in September

A collaborative effort between Drury Lane Books, Cook County Higher Education, and Master Naturalists will take form in early September. 

Hillary Freeman, a master naturalist in Cook County and former employee of Drury Lane Books, crafted the idea of partnering with the bookstore to share her love of natural history. “We’re really excited to look at a selection of books and make some decisions and offer that to the public,” she said. 

The first naturalist book club gathering will take place on Sept. 12 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. The first featured naturalist-themed book will be The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World. 

“The insect crisis is a fascinating book,” Freeman said. “The web of life is really linked to insects, and with their decline, it has an incredible impact.”

Interested individuals can find the book at Drury Lane, the Grand Marais Public Library, or through audiobook platforms. Registration is available for free on the Cook County Higher Education website. Master Naturalists can earn educational credit on request. 

Freeman said they would limit the book club class to about 25 people to encourage and facilitate good conversation. “We’ve done a couple of book groups before like this, but not in this organized way,” she said. “Which is brand new and really exciting.”

The book club will continue monthly, with the following class held on Oct. 10.

WTIP’s CJ Heithoff spoke with Hillary Freeman about the newly formed naturalist book club starting in Sept. Audio from the interview is below.

Kalli Hawkins August 11, 2023