Calder Gardens launches a new Listening Circles series on Friday, May 8 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, inspired by Indigenous talking circles in which participants gather to reflect, listen deeply, and share across generations. The inaugural session is guided by Denise Dunkley of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation, with special guest Mirian Masaquiza Jerez of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, who shares perspectives from the forum’s 25th session focused on climate change and the health of Indigenous Peoples.

For many Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon rainforest, círculos de la palabra — circles of the spoken word, or talking circles — are essential communal gatherings where knowledge, memory, and care are shared. Elders, adults, and the youngest members of the community sit together in a non-hierarchical circle, listening attentively while affirming listening as a collective responsibility. These practices nurture intergenerational bonds and recognize wisdom as something that emerges through presence, reciprocity, and time.

The program takes place on the Calder Gardens Disc, the outdoor area in front of the main entrance. If weather conditions require, the program will move indoors.