Sustainability

Join us for an all plant-based meal at the always popular Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant in Vienna, VA. We've made a reservation for 20 attendees, so don't delay in RSVPing as this will fill up. You can preview Sunflower's menu [here. ](https://www.crystalsunflower.com/menu) Parking is available in the restaurant's lot and the Vienna Metro station is 1.6 miles away. Rides may be available from attendees with cars so please communicate needs/availability in the comments below. Please note that there is no outdoor dining at this venue and that this is an indoor event. **Update Your RSVP** Out of respect for others interested in attending this limited-space event, please update your RSVP promptly as your schedule changes. **VSDC: More Than A Meetup** We are delighted to have you as part of The Veg Society of DC Vegan Meetup group, and we look forward to seeing you at our events. Did you know that [VSDC](https://vsdc.org/%20) is a nonprofit organization with membership benefits? With VSDC membership, you will save money at area restaurants and businesses, attend VSDC member-only events, and, most importantly, support us as a clear and consistent voice for improving the lives of all beings through community building and education centered on the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle. The membership fee is minimal, but the impact is significant! [Join today](https://vsdc.org/membership/)! **Ways to Stay In Touch with Us** Thank you for being part of our Meetup presence and bringing like-minded people together. We invite you to: * Become a [VSDC member](https://vsdc.org/membership/) to save money at area restaurants and support us in being a clear and consistent voice for improving the lives of all beings through community building and education centered on the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle. * Sign up for our[ monthly e-newsletter](https://vsdc.org/about/newsletter/) to hear more about our activities. * Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/vegsocietydc/) or [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/vegsocietydc/) to engage with us. **Interested in Volunteering with VSDC?** VSDC offers many events each month, thanks to the dedication of our event planning team. Would you consider volunteering? To learn more and get started, [please visit our website](https://vsdc.org/volunteer/). **Only Vegan Food, Please** While VSDC welcomes people wherever they are on the path to an all-plant, vegan diet and lifestyle, it is our policy that only vegan food be served and consumed at our events. If you would like to [explore a vegan diet or get support in making lifestyle changes, consider these resources](https://vsdc.org/exploringvegan/). **Liability Waiver and Code of Conduct** When you sign up to attend, you automatically acknowledge [VSDC's Liability Waiver](https://vsdc.org/activity-waiver/) and commit to follow the code of conduct found at [Policies - VSDC - Veg Society of DC](https://vsdc.org/policies/). **VSDC. Creating communities. For your health, the animals, and the planet.**

🍇 Summer Foraging Walk: Wild Wineberries Join us for a relaxed summer morning outdoors as we explore local trails in search of wild wineberries, a bright red seasonal berry that usually ripens in late June and early July. Wineberries are an introduced invasive plant, so harvesting them can be a satisfying way to gather food while also helping create more room for native plants to thrive. They’re also delicious and can be turned into syrup, jam, sauces, and other seasonal treats. This Meetup will be a blend of hiking, berry gathering, shared learning, and enjoying time in nature together. — 🌿 About the Event — We’ll walk trails in the Germantown area while looking for wineberry patches. Along the way, we can talk about foraging, plant identification, sustainability, and practical ways to use what the land provides. If all goes well, I hope to bring homemade wineberry syrup for a simple pre-hike soda tasting before we head out. — 🥾 Difficulty — This will be an off-trail excursion. I've found a good patch of wineberries which will require hiking through wild and rugged areas. Expect uneven ground, roots, thorns, and using deer paths. — 📍 Location — Germantown We'll meet at my house which will be sent to the attendees closer to the event. — 🕚 Time — 11:00 AM start Approximately 3 hours — 🎒 What to Bring — • Container or bag for berries • Water • Snack if desired • Comfortable walking shoes • Long pants or outdoor clothing needed • Boots — ⚠️ Good to Know — We’ll review identification together, but please only eat anything you personally feel fully confident about. As with any summer outing, expect thorns, brush, insects, and possible poison ivy. After the hike, it’s always wise to wash up and do a tick check at home. More information on wineberries at https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2024/06/04/wineberries-are-a-tasty-treat-and-a-lesson-in-invasive-species-management/ — 🌈 Group Vibe — This group is for gay men interested in nature, community, sustainability, homesteading skills, and spending meaningful time outdoors together. Beginners are absolutely welcome. Come enjoy a summer morning, meet good people, and see what we can gather.

Rockville Vegans will be picking up trash on the outside of Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary as part of their adopt-a-highway program. Poplar will provide all the supplies - gloves, bags, and visibility vests. We will be parking just inside the gate as you enter the farm property.

Join us for conversations that go beyond small talk, diving into topics like the shifting nature of spirituality, the challenges and joys of midlife transitions, the impact of culture and capitalism, and the search for meaning in art, travel, and daily life. Our gatherings are about genuine, thought-provoking dialogue, with no set leader or strict agenda—just an open space to share ideas, perspectives, and experiences that matter to us. The direction of the discussion is shaped by everyone who shows up, making each event unique and enriching. Come ready to share, reflect, and connect with others who are also seeking deeper conversations. Let the conversation flow from topic to topic. Optional questions are listed below.

Optional Questions: Life Stages & Transitions

1. What did you think you'd have figured out by now that you're still completely winging?
2. When did you realize your parents' advice was for a world that no longer exists?
3. What are you finally old enough to stop pretending to care about?

Optional Questions: Identity After the Roles

4. Who are you when nobody needs anything from you?
5. What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed?
6. How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted?

Optional Questions: AI & Being Human

7. What human experiences will AI never truly understand?
8. If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do?
9. What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated?

Optional Questions: Belief & Meaning

10. What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space?
11. How has knowing someone who died changed how you live?
12. What do you believe now that would shock your younger self?

Optional Questions: The Modern Psyche

13. What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have?
14. Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire?
15. What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept?

Optional Questions: Work & Purpose

16. When did you stop believing that your job would complete you?
17. What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors?
18. How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years?

Optional Questions: Relationships & Connection

19. What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why?
20. When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best?
21. What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others?

Optional Questions: Time & Mortality

22. What are you running out of time to say or do?
23. How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite?
24. What will you regret not trying, even if you fail?

Optional Questions: Society & Culture

25. What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense?
26. Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing?
27. What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years?

Optional Questions: Personal Philosophy

28. What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way?
29. When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out
30. What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

EcoAction Arlington and our EcoAmbassadors invite you to join us for an evening of community, connection, and celebration as we recognize the incredible volunteers who help create a greener, more sustainable Arlington, and welcome new faces interested in getting involved.[ REGISTER HERE](https://ecoactionarlington.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F45107) Our in‑person Volunteer Happy Hour will take place on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. This gathering is a chance to meet fellow environmental stewards, learn about what we have done this year and upcoming events, test your environmental knowledge with trivia, and enjoy a relaxed space to mingle and build connections. As we approach the Summer Solstice on June 21, we invite you to celebrate the power of community action with neighbors, volunteers, and sustainability advocates who are passionate about climate action. Together, we can make this season brighter — for our environment and for each other. .[ REGISTER HERE](https://ecoactionarlington.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F45107)

…Transform Our Lives, Work, and World (2024) by Jamie Metzl, 432 pages [Genetics] • Paperback • Hardcover • Kindle • Audiobook • Library: [https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=615082](https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=615082) Check the How To Find Us section for Zoom Link **(Remember, the Zoom Link is different each month, do not bookmark)** ### Review “In Superconvergence, Jamie Metzl takes readers on a magical journey through the science of the intersecting genetics, biotech, and AI revolutions, deeply explores the implications, and challenges us to think creatively and proactively about what comes next. Very few books are absolute must-reads. This is one.”―Siddhartha Mukherjee, assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University and author of The Gene: An Intimate History "During the 25 years I have known Jamie Metzl, he has always been ahead of the curve. There is no one better to help us understand and prepare for the fast-approaching technological revolutions. Superconvergence is brilliant. I can't recommend it more strongly."―Sanjay Gupta MD, bestseller author, neurosurgeon, and Emmy-award winning chief medical correspondent (CNN) "Our world is defined by our science and technology—whether we like it or not. The question now is not whether to use these powers, but how best to use them. In Superconvergence, Jamie Metzl takes us on a journey through the new capabilities that are radically transforming ecosystems inside us and around us, challenging each of us to get personally involved with building the future we want."―Beth Shapiro, University of California Santa Cruz evolutionary biologist and author of Life as We Made It: How 50,000 Years of Human Innovation Refined―and Redefined―Nature "In a fine counter-blast to the pessimism of today, Jamie Metzl lays out just how spectacular the future of humanity and planet can be if we harness innovation responsibly and imaginatively to create what he calls the 'spiral of progress.'"―Matt Ridley, author of How Innovation Works, and co-author of Viral: The search for the Origin of Covid-19 “A page-turning journey through space and time that shows us how our lives will be changed by imminent technological advances we once only dreamed of.”―David Sinclair, Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, and author of Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don't Have To “The superconvergence of the genetics, biotechnology, and AI revolutions provides spectacular opportunities for building a better world. It also represents an almost limitless investment opportunity. We were excited to collaborate with Jamie Metzl, one of the world's great experts on how these aspirations can best be realized, including in capital markets. Superconvergence is a master class for imagining, investing in, and building a future we'd like to inhabit."―Jeremy Schwartz, Global Chief Investment Officer, WisdomTree “A clear examination of a transitional moment in the story of life on Earth…. Metzl capably describes recent developments in genetics and biotech and looks at how AI is providing an analytical engine of unprecedented power…. An important book in which the author sets out a path for the future based on his experience and expertise.”―Kirkus “Erudite, optimistic, and timely.”―Science Magazine "[In Superconvergence] Mr. Metzl has identified an important truth: that the convergence of new technologies is galvanizing us to reimagine how to meet urgent challenges in medicine and the environment. It’s a compelling opportunity—provided we manage to sidestep self-induced catastrophes along the way."―The Wall Street Journal ### About the Author Jamie Metzl is a leading technology and healthcare futurist and the founder and chair of OneShared.World. He is the author of Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity and four other books and was a member of the World Health Organization expert advisory committee on human genome editing. Jamie previously served in the U.S. National Security Council, State Department, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee and with the United Nations in Cambodia. His work has been featured by most major media organizations around the world, including 60 Minutes, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Fox, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, the Times of London, Le Monde, and Paris Match, and his podcast interviews with Joe Rogan, Lex Fridman, and others have reached tens of millions of listeners. He lives in New York City. Visit Jamiemetzl.com.

Join the [Veg Society of DC (VSDC)](vsdc.org) for a pro-animal/vegan-themed Movie Watch Party on Saturday, June 13 at 6:30 pm in Fairfax VA. Socializing with vegan food beforehand and discussion about the movie afterwards is planned. This month we will screen two films. The first is *Forever Home* (56 minutes): In the heart of North Carolina, two dreamers are revolutionizing animal care through groundbreaking architecture and by rethinking the concept of “home.” At their refuge, they’re replacing conventional barns with customized homes. With empathy and imagination, they’re bringing architectural design to the world of animal care and providing a blueprint for a compassionate, sustainable future. The second film (20 minutes) is *Welcome Home*, which celebrates the incredible story of wolf reintroduction to Colorado. The VSDC member hosts’ home in Fairfax has a small home theater that can accommodate around 20 people. This regular event is a fun way to learn, discuss, and meet vegans and vegan-curious people (Thanks to Mindy Kursban and David Kwiatkowski for hosting!). FEE: The $12 fee will cover the hosts' expenses for the event, including food, beverages, and other associated costs. If there are any proceeds beyond these costs, which we don't expect, they will go towards VSDC's work to fulfill its mission. In order to ensure the success of the evening and limit late cancellations, **the fee is refundable until 5 days before the event. [NOTE the fee increase due to the increase in the cost of food]** BECAUSE THERE IS A FEE FOR THIS EVENT, MEETUP DOES NOT ALLOW FOR A WAITLIST ONCE THE RSVPs ARE FULL. IF IT IS FULL, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU CHECK MEETUP OCCASIONALLY TO SEE IF ANYONE HAS CHANGED THEIR RSVP. FOOD: Pizza, salad, fruit, and desserts. Feel free to bring any vegan food or beverages to share. WHO: All VSDC and Meetup members are invited. Bringing a non-vegan friend is encouraged. WHEN: Saturday, June 13 **at 6:30 pm**. We'll eat and enjoy social time together first and begin watching the movie around 7:00 pm. WHERE: The home is in Fairfax VA 22033, near Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. It is 8 miles from the closest metro at either Vienna or Reston (Uber or Lyft would be necessary). **For safety and security reasons, the exact location will be emailed privately via Meetup about 2 days in advance to those who have rsvp'd Yes.** Please make sure your email is current in Meetup, your Meetup settings allow organizer messages, and check your spam if you don't receive the message. PARKING: There is plenty of free parking within a 3-minute walk of the home. \*You must register via this page to attend the event.\* A Pay Pal account is required to pay the $12. Because there is a cost for the event, Meetup doesn't have a waitlist for the movie. **VSDC: More Than A Meetup** We are delighted to have you as part of The Veg Society of DC Vegan Meetup group, and we look forward to seeing you at our events. Did you know that [VSDC](https://vsdc.org/%20) is a nonprofit organization with membership benefits? With VSDC membership, you will save money at area restaurants and businesses, attend VSDC member-only events, and, most importantly, support us as a clear and consistent voice for improving the lives of all beings through community building and education centered on the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle. The membership fee is minimal, but the impact is significant! [Join today](https://vsdc.org/membership/)! **Ways to Stay In Touch with Us** Thank you for being part of our Meetup presence and bringing like-minded people together. We invite you to: * Become a [VSDC member](https://vsdc.org/membership/) to save money at area restaurants and support us in being a clear and consistent voice for improving the lives of all beings through community building and education centered on the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle. * Sign up for our[ monthly e-newsletter](https://vsdc.org/about/newsletter/) to hear more about our activities. * Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/vegsocietydc/) or [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/vegsocietydc/) to engage with us. **Interested in Volunteering with VSDC?** VSDC offers many events each month, thanks to the dedication of our event planning team. Would you consider volunteering? To learn more and get started, [please visit our website](https://vsdc.org/volunteer/). **Only Vegan Food, Please** While VSDC welcomes people wherever they are on the path to an all-plant, vegan diet and lifestyle, it is our policy that only vegan food be served and consumed at our events. If you would like to [explore a vegan diet or get support in making lifestyle changes, consider these resources](https://vsdc.org/exploringvegan/). **Liability Waiver and Code of Conduct** When you sign up to attend, you automatically acknowledge [VSDC's Liability Waiver](https://vsdc.org/activity-waiver/) and commit to follow the code of conduct found at [Policies - VSDC - Veg Society of DC](https://vsdc.org/policies/). **VSDC. Creating communities. For your health, the animals, and the planet.**