Calling All Storytellers! ‘Wild Words’ Event Invites High-School Students to Share Stories

The following post was written by our wonderful member Door County Land Trust.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2017

CONTACT:  

Tom Clay, Executive Director: [email protected]

Cinnamon Rossman, Communications and Outreach Manager:  [email protected]

Sturgeon Bay, WI – March 10, 2017 – ‘Wild Words: Earth Day Stories of Our Connection to the Land’ is planned for Saturday, April 22 at Crossroads at Big Creek. On this evening, high-school students from across the county are invited to share stories of their connection to the land.

The ‘Wild Words’ project is currently enlisting students to participate. Students in drama, forensics and ecology clubs may be particularly suited, but any interested student should contact the Door County Land Trust to sign up soon. Workshop participation is limited. Stories can range from humorous to dramatic, informative or persuasive. Students can work individually or in pairs to develop and share their stories. An optional workshop for participants will be hosted by WriteOn, Door County in early April.

Door County Land Trust’s executive director Tom Clay says, “Door County families have a history of farming, hunting and fishing, and a great appreciation for the natural beauty of this county. This storytelling event gives high schoolers an opportunity to reflect on why the land is important to them and their family…to share their sense of place.”

The ‘Wild Words’ event on April 22 will be based on a format called “pecha kucha” which is Japanese for chit-chat. Using twenty pictures and twenty seconds per picture, each story will be 6 minutes and 40 seconds long.

‘Wild Words’ is a partnership project between Crossroads at Big Creek, the Door County Land Trust, and WriteOn, Door County. The three organizations are working collaboratively to engage students, help them develop their stories and to present the final event.

The first ten students to sign up to participate will receive a scholarship to the Festival of Nature in May 2017 and a certificate of participation. Students may also be eligible for extra-credit through their classroom teachers.

To learn more about participating in this project, call Door County Land Trust at (920) 746-1359 or email Cinnamon Rossman at [email protected] or Gretchen Schmelzer at [email protected].

About the Door County Land Trust

The Door County Land Trust’s mission is “To protect Door County’s exceptional lands and waters…forever.”  It is a nonprofit, community-based organization that actively works to conserve land by undertaking or assisting with direct land transactions—primarily the purchase or acceptance of donations of land or conservation easements. Founded in 1986, the Door County Land Trust has protected more than 7600 acres from Washington Island through southern Door County and many points in between.

Door County Land Trust nature preserves are open year-round to the public at no charge for hiking, cross-country skiing, wildlife observation, hunting, and other low-impact, non-motorized recreational activities. For more information and to become a Land Trust member visit www.doorcountylandtrust.org or call (920)746-1359.