On February 27th the Read!Plant!Grow! book club (a partnership of Loudoun County Public Library, Watermark Woods, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Foliage Plants and Birch Tree Bookstore) discussed the book The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl. A total of 20 people were in attendance (in-person and online). The book had beautiful illustrations and was poetically written. Some attendees really enjoyed the book while others found it both melancholy and beautiful. To help with the melancholy feeling the book can have, some attendees recommended reading the book in smaller increments over a longer period.

What was the first bird you saw of the new year? The author addresses how the first bird you see of the year is a symbolic association of the year. The author’s first bird she saw was a crow. After looking up what crows symbolize, the author states on page 7, “..I cling to the crow’s promise of metamorphosis….” Some attendees shared what was the first bird they saw this year.

The reaction to the book also varied depending on attendees’ current life circumstances and perspectives. Several of the attendees mentioned how the book reminded them to slow down and be present with nature. To both focus and appreciation on how the birds, trees, insects, etc. interact with us. The author provided important life lessons of both animal and life cycle, and how they are connected in some ways. The book also resonated with several people because they connected with childhood memories, such as saving tadpoles that the author shared. and the challenges of being an empty nester. The book also discussed times when the author interfered with nature, which lead to a discussion about how we decide when to interfere with nature and when to leave nature alone. The attendees also talked about what they can do to educate their community about the importance of nature and native plants. This lead to a discussion about participating in “No Mow May,” and doing what each individual person can with their own garden and yard. As some attendees said, we may not be able to change the world, but we have a garden and/or a backyard so we can make a difference.

The next Read!Plant!Grow! book club will be held on Tuesday, May 28th at 7:00 p.m. at Birch Tree Bookstore. We will be discussing the book The Humane Gardener by Nancy Lawson. Lawson addresses why we should welcome wildlife into our backyards. She also provides lessons of ecology and how this relates to our outdoor space.

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