The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
Led by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
As Indigenous scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution ensures its own survival.
The day includes lunch and dinner at the Ghost Ranch Dining Hall.
As Indigenous scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution ensures its own survival.
The day includes lunch and dinner at the Ghost Ranch Dining Hall.
Program Details
Start Date:
End Date:
Categories:
Ghost Ranch Program
Date & Time Details:
Saturday, September 5, 2026
10:00 am Workshop: The Serviceberry
1:30 pm: Workshop: What it means and what it takes to create a world where we all truly belong to each other and the Earth
7:00 pm: Book signing and final reception.
10:00 am Workshop: The Serviceberry
1:30 pm: Workshop: What it means and what it takes to create a world where we all truly belong to each other and the Earth
7:00 pm: Book signing and final reception.
Contact:
Programs
programs@ghostranch.org
505-685-1000
Email Us About Program
About the Leader
RW
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, which has earned Kimmerer wide acclaim. Her first book, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing, and her other work has appeared in Orion, Whole Terrain, and numerous scientific journals. In 2022, Braiding Sweetgrass was adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith. This new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us. Robin’s newest book, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World (November 2024), is a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.