Every year, Butte College works with CSU Chico and the Butte County Library system to adopt a Book In Common. The goals of the Book In Common are to bring the community together through a common reading experience, to bring new and engaging stories and topics in for discussion, to pursue learning through reading books, and to recognize our shared humanity.
This year's Book In Common is In Search of the Canary Tree by Lauren E. Oakes, a California scientist who spent six years in the Alaskan forest:
Several years ago, ecologist Lauren E. Oakes set out from California for Alaska's old-growth forests to hunt for a dying tree: the yellow-cedar. With climate change as the culprit, the death of this species meant loss for many Alaskans. Oakes and her research team wanted to chronicle how plants and people could cope with their rapidly changing world. Amidst the standing dead, she discovered the resiliency of forgotten forests, flourishing again in the wake of destruction, and a diverse community of people who persevered to create new relationships with the emerging environment. Eloquent, insightful, and deeply heartening, In Search of the Canary Tree is a case for hope in a warming world.
Copies are available for checkout at the Butte College Library, or you can purchase the book through various outlets. The bookstore is sold out! There will be events throughout the year, so keep an eye out for those; they are not announced yet. Find out more about this year's Book In Common at the BIC website, or follow the Facebook page.