Join us on Wednesday, November 13 at 6:30pm to discuss Playing God in the Meadow, an engaging memoir by Vermont author Martha Leb Molnar.

We'll be talking about invasive species, including how we scientifically and emotionally approach them. As always, we'll also discuss how climate change is affecting the lands and species around us.

About the Book:
After decades of fantasizing and saving, of working multiple jobs and embracing frugality in the midst of Manhattan, Martha Leb Molnar and her husband had found their parcel of land. Determined to turn an overgrown and unproductive Vermont apple orchard into a thriving and beautiful landscape, they decided to restore this patch of land to a pristine meadow and build a safe haven for their family and nearby wildlife.

Once they cleared the gnarled and dying trees away, Molnar was forced to wage war on the invasive species that had sprung up around the property. Propelled by the heated debates surrounding non-native species and her own complicated family history and migration, she was driven to research the Vermont landscape, turning to scientific literature, experts in botany and environmental science, and locals who have long tended the land in search of answers. At turns funny, thoughtful, and conversational, Playing God in the Meadow follows this big city transplant as she learns to make peace with rural life and an evolving landscape that she cannot entirely control.

This series is offered in collaboration with Richmond Climate Action Committee.

Event Info

Jan 4, 2025, 7 to 9 PM

Jan 6, 2025, 3:30 PM

Jan 7, 2025, 7 to 9 PM