CODE OF CONDUCT.

We’re grateful to have you as part of our Nature Connections Book Club. To ensure everyone feels welcome and comfortable and has room for their voice, please follow our code of conduct:

 

As Nature Connections Book Club Members, we agree to:

 

1. Respect one another. We encourage different opinions as part of a healthy book discussion but remember to be polite, take your turn when speaking and avoid putting down other members of the club. 

2. Share our thoughts. Please do speak up in discussions and share what you thought of the book. Make sure you leave space for other members of your group to speak, but don’t put anyone on the spot to share if they aren’t ready. 

3. Listen to others. While others share their thoughts, please listen mindfully to understand their perspective on the book. Ask follow-up questions to dig a little deeper, especially if their viewpoint differs from yours.

4. Bring an open mind. We will be discussing books on the topic of nature, trees and restoration. If this is already an area of interest for you, you may have existing opinions going into the discussion. Remember to keep an open mind and give the book and your fellow book club members the opportunity to change your mind. 

5. Read the book. We know that with the pressures of work life, home life and everything in between, it can be tricky to fit in time for reading, no matter how much you want to. All we ask is that you do your best to read the book. If you haven’t finished it, we’d still love to know your thoughts so far - but be prepared for spoilers!

6. Stay on topic. We aim to build a community of book and nature lovers in our Nature Connections Book Club. We hope you find community and friendships here, but please remember to keep on topic and focus on the book during our sessions so that everyone gets the most out of our book club. 

We are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all. Inappropriate, aggressive, harassing, discriminatory or bullying behaviour will not be tolerated. While members of the TreeSisters team will be present at the club, we won’t always be in every break-out room. If you feel another member of the book club is behaving inappropriately, please reach out to us via private Zoom message or by email at learning@treesisters.org. Any member deemed to be in breach of our code of conduct may be removed from the club without warning.