Group has been engaging and educating club members at the Gateway Science Museum since 2021
By Delaney Joyce
On the first Saturday of each month, the Community Science Book Club brings together a love of science and reading behind the doors of CSU Chico’s Gateway Science Museum.
From geology and physics to astronomy and psychology, the club seeks to cover a range of scientific topics during their in-depth meetings. Club member Jessie Raeder appreciates the many different topics the club encourages her to explore.
“One of the things I really like about the club is that it has me reading books that I probably wouldn’t find or wouldn’t necessarily pick up otherwise,” Raeder said.
The books are chosen each month during the meetings, usually by way of members suggesting interesting books they’ve come across before mutually deciding on the best contender.
The book club was formed in 2021 by Paul Belz, a Chico-based author and science enthusiast, alongside his colleague Kate Roark. Forged by a belief that science should be both engaging and accessible, Belz set out to make this vision a reality.
“Right now, the big issue is a lot of the funding cuts and the criticisms that are made of science, and I felt like we needed to counter that,” Belz explained.
In recent months, the club has covered books including “A City on Mars” by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, “The Triumph of Seeds” by Thor Hanson and “Tree Story” by Valerie Trouet.
Kim Kinder, a regular member since 2021, said her career experience as a surgeon and interest in biology is what initially drew her to the club.
“I saw a flier at the public library, and that was how I learned about it,” Kinder recalled. “I have the most exposure to biology and medicine because of my career, but I like learning about different topics in science, too.”
Kinder added that reading a book offers a much deeper experience than consuming an article or podcast, and that she enjoys having enriching discussions with other club members.
“The club is always welcoming to new members, and no one dominates the conversations,” Kinder observed. “We all treat each other with respect in the discussions, and I appreciate hearing what other people think about the books, as we often have different opinions and insights.”
Raeder observed that having a deep understanding of science isn’t a requirement to join and flourish in the club.
“We do switch around genres so we can learn about different parts of the world,” Raeder noted. “But you don’t need to be a scientist or particularly have any sort of background in science.”
Belz looks forward to the future of the club with a dream of hitting double digits in membership in order to allow for more diverse exploration of scientific topics.
“Our idea is if it turns out that there are more people that are interested, we could have several groups, maybe have groups that focus on different topics,” he said.
The club advertises their upcoming meetings via the Gateway Science Museum’s Instagram account. Although utilizing the museum’s space, the club functions independently and can accept members at any time.
The Community Science Book Club’s next read is “Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life” by Ferris Jabr. Those interested in joining the club can contact the museum’s email gateway@csuchico.edu or visit their website for more contact options.
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