Climate Emotions Circles PNW
Witnessing ecological harms together, weaving stories to express feelings; seeking personal resilience during uncertain times.
What do the experts say?
Deep listening as a collective is suggested by climate psychologists and therapists.
We suggest making regular meetings each month to prioritize well-being to cope with climate distress.
Monthly locations
Each month, we travel to a new spot. But the format is the same. This practice teaches us to be agile, to seek the familiar but embrace the different. We “pop-up” throughout Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington to practice resilience.
The setting/what happens
You’ll want to arrive about 5 minutes early to get a beverage and pick your seat just to get comfortable with the people and surroundings. Meet the facilitator and chat with your seat neighbors. We ask for two volunteers to reading our opening and closing statements. At the conclusion, we will have resources to take home. The meeting is 50-60 minutes in duration.
Dates and times
Every 5th day, usually. Check out our Lumi page for the latest schedule. As we roll out our news program tracks, you will find us at different times of the day on Google Meet, but you must register in advance on Lumi. We’ll have two Saturday morning gatherings in July and August at 9:00 AM.
Notifications of gatherings
We advertise digitally through our newsletters (2x month) and social media, mainly Instagram. You can occasionally find us at community events, tabling to spread awareness.
the circles
A safe space to process feelings about the uncertainties we face here in the Pacific Northwest in the age of the climate crisis. We share feelings with each other in a safe, and confidential stetting, either virtually or in-person.
Climate Emotions Circles
Our newly designed Climate Emotions Circles are offered in three formats. Depending on facilitator scheduling, each format may be offered virtually or in-person, and at any of our four time slots: Morning, mid-day, afternoon, or evening.
Open to the public. If you see the importance of this societal shift, if you are a nature lover, or if you work / volunteer / advocate / activate in the climate movement, you are especially invited.
Upcoming Circles
August
10th location: Leaven Community Center CLASSIC format
Thursday 8/15 at 8:30am TOPICS: Science & EPA
Tuesday 8/20 at 8:30pm; EXPERIENCES: climate resilience zine
24th location: Leaven Community Center EXPERIENCES: journal prompts & poetry
Friday 8/30 at 11:00am TOPICS
September
details TBA
Thursday 9/5
Tuesday 9/10
Sunday 9/15
Friday 9/20
Wednesday 9/25
Monday 9/30
All virtual meetings on Google Meet. Register to get the link at our Luma page.
3 formats to try
Keep your climate cool by maintaining a regular climate resilience practice. Like they say in recovery,
‘Meeting makers make it.’
Climate Heart and Soul Circles
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Each person shares on any topic about the uncertainties of the current state in American or global society. -Fears, worries, dread, anger, sadness.
Climate Composure Circles
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Composed and systems thinking. Together we read or summarize an article about climate impacts. Each person is invited to share their feelings or emotions.
Coping with Climate Change Circles
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Each person is encouraged to present an object, a poem, a book passage, a song, and then share how it connects.
We hold space to receive but do not give advice.
Free to all
…however, to help us maintain the admin costs to run this program, can you make a suggested donation of $5-15 ?
Scale your donation
(virtual gatherings $5)
suggested donation $10
budget-conscious $5
roomy-budget $15
We hold our peer-support meetings every five days (usually).
In other words, the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, and 30th each month (most months). Check our Luma event calendar page for exact dates and times.
Some participants plan to come to 3 or 4 meetings each month and prefer to make a once-monthly donation, a recurring amount directly from their debit card or checking account.
Explore and validate your feelings
Climate work and environmentalist activities can leave you feeling heavy and burdened. It can be challenging to navigate the myriad of emotions and thoughts that arise in the face of climate change. Climate Resilience Circle gatherings are an opportunity to recognize and make space for the fullness of your experience through connecting with others, sharing authentically, listening deeply, and exploring opportunities for building personal resilience.
testimonials
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what participants said
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testimonials *** what participants said ***
“I just love that this exists. We as a society especially those who are in the fight for climate justice need it.”
[I enjoyed] "new connections, meeting like-minded activists and eco-workers."
“I hope we can grow the value of safeness, being together, co-holding-- the power of grief and mourning together is so underrated in our culture as well as a lack of trust in how being together makes space for something to emerge."
“I was surprised to learn that so many others in the Circle are experience similar feelings as I am. It helpful to hear climate concerns given an audible voice. So many of us are struggling with how to talk through our concerns about the future with friends and family - climate change topics are generally avoided in social settings.”
“Very comforting and relaxed atmosphere that seemed to allow everyone to share and trust.”
Our Resilience Educator Team
As we adjust our service offerings, we extend our humble gratitude, wishing our original Resilience Educator, Tamara, a fond farewell.
Cascadia Stack seeks to build out our provider list.
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Project Leader and FounderDrew’s recent college experience immersed them into adapting to the effects of global warming. Their research in social studies and public health was community-centric, based on science.
The resourcefulness of research has its benefits. Drew is a natural relationship-maker. Their learning hasn't stopped since founding Cascadia Stack, recently completing the One Resilient Earth facilitator training, and soon to be completed Climate Cafe facilitator training in July.
Drew's facilitation style is grounded in a well-rounded learning journey and relentless pursuit of communication paths coupled with lived experience witnessing first-hand the effects of global warming.
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[bio coming soon]
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SupporterZeratha is a Visionary Artist, Eco-Doula, Climate Grief Facilitator, Eclectic Witch, Herbalist/Plant Medicine Healer, Tarot Reader, Psychedelic Advocate, Social Permaculturalist, and above all, a Mother of two wonderful kids aged 7 and 9, as well as two fluffy Persialayan kitties, one Frenchbo dog, a garden and household plant family.
Zeratha is passionate about helping facilitate a present and future that promotes and enables a regenerative culture of systems of mutual support, reciprocity, relationship with, and respect for, one another, ourselves, and the natural world. They envision a present and future anchored in whole systems design and creativity and rooted in heart-based processing, radical vulnerability and the sharing and showing up of our authentic complex selves in these complex times.