Joyce Geary - ESL Teacher and Novice Environmental Storyteller

1) Why do an Eco-tellers retreat?   

I would attend the Eco-tellers retreat for the same reason that I, as the sole ESL teacher in my districts for over 20 years, went to every ESL conference/ meeting I could to meet and visit with kindred spirits to be affirmed  that my ideas were excellent, on target, respected, and appreciated and understood by others as they were by my students! Along with that plus I always learned more and more from fellow teachers/ tellers. I went to an Eco conference in Springfield, IL., some years ago and it was a wonderful experience, but haven't been able to get away to the recent retreats.

2) What is your intention for the retreat? 

I want to meet and greet other tellers of like mind, to learn more stories and methodology, and to just absorb some of that good ol' environment. I like a combination of "formal" workshops, chatting and sharing, experiencing nature, and hearing/ sharing ideas on just what "Eco-telling" is. I've heard a variety of meanings. I want to participate more in this area of storytelling.

3) If you have only one hour of the time with the whole group of 15 to 20 people what would you do?

What would be beneficial to me would be to share in an hour a variety of stories and story types appropriate for this area and also how to market oneself into venues that want the stories. I have some ideas but don't know if I'm heading the right direction.

Draft Schedule - Jan 1st

Friday the 9th of April

Day - Secrets of the Glen.

Evening – Hanging Around the Camp Fire in the Vale telling stories

Saturday the 10th of April

8:30 Am – Half hour opening ceremony.

9:00 AM – Acceptance of schedule

9:30 AM - Lisa Homes - Performance of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

10:45 AM - Fran Stallings - A Discussion on healing ecology through storytelling

Lunch Sponsored

1:30 PM - Eric Wolf Report on Living Theater Education

2:00 PM - Jonatha & Harold Wright Report and Discussion on stories and there use in Water Education.

2:45 PM - Janelle Reardon We create three themed programs from scratch.

3:30 PM - Break.

3:45 PM - Talking Stick Circle - (1 round)

Dinner Break in town or maybe pizza together. (Still Looking for a Sponsor.)

7 PM Tecumseh Land Trust Fund Raiser.

10 PM Another Fire in front of my house.

Sunday the 11th of April

9:30 AM - Mylinda Butterworth Books as Tools Eco-Fiction books

10:00 AM - Jenn Romaniszak Leads a discussion on the responsibility of storytellers.

11:30 AM Short Ending Ceremony.

This is a draft schedule and may change without notice...

Tecumseh Land Trust Fundraiser Set for the evening of 4/10/10

Met with Krista Magaw, Executive Director of the Tecumseh Land Trust (TLT). We agreed that the eco-storyteller retreat would provide stories and storytellers for a benefit performance for the Land Trust on April 10th, 2010. TLT would provide audience, run ticket collection, sell refreshments and signup members during the intermission

The theme of the performance will be Stories of People and the Land. The performances will be in an olio style with nine tellers telling eight to twelve minute stories. Ticket price will be $5 per person, families for $10. The performance will be in Yellow Springs (more details later) from 7 PM to 9:30 PM on April 10th, 2010.

The performance will be recorded and Eric Wolf will produce a CD from the performances.  TLT will be able to obtain the CDs at cost of printing and sell them to benefit their land preservation work. The audio editing + design work for the CD will be donated by Eric Wolf to TLT. Contributing storytellers will be able to purchase units of 25+ CD's for $3 a CD for resale on their travels. All CDs  will clearly state a price of $9.95.

Performers are reminded that the storyteller must own all copyrights to the stories they tell. All storytellers will retain all copyrights to their stories. Performers will license TLT and the other performers in the set the right to sell, give away and use as they see fit the audio recording of the performance. Performers will not be asked to donate to attend the concert, but retreat participants are strongly encouraged to make a donation for a ticket.

The Tecumseh Land Trust is the most successful land trust in Ohio and has set a standard that many other land trusts aspire to reach. You can read more about them on their website www.tecumsehlandtrust.org.  This event is one of several partnerships the TLT  is forming to celebrate its 20th anniversary, all based on the theme "Stories of People and the Land."

To take part in the olio please call or email Eric Wolf at ericwolf2@yahoo.com The CD can only hold 80 minutes of material and it is very likely there will be more performance than room on the CD - so performing does not grant inclusion on the CD - but a refusal to be recorded does preclude you from being allowed to perform.

Feed back welcome through the comment system below. 

MyLinda, book publisher, joins the retreat.

1) Why do an Eco-tellers retreat?   

Because individually we pass on what we know to the people where we live and work, but when we get together we share ideas, concepts, and passion with those who share a common thread.

 2) What is your intention for the retreat? 

To meet others who share the need to awaken a sleeping world to eco-telling. To fill my half full cup to overflowing by rubbing shoulders with others in the field and learn from them what I do not yet know.

3) If you have only one hour of the time with the whole group of 15 to 20 people what would you do?

Eco-tales just like my Eco-Fiction books are merely tools we use to teach others about seeing the effects of what we do and how it affects the world around us. So I would like to teach some of the tools we use for broadening the education about the environment and then open it for discussion.

More about MyLinda

International Storytelling retreat in Yellow Springs Ohio for Storytellers, environmental educator or interpretive naturalist.

April 9th-11th, 2010 an eco-teller’s retreat will take place in Yellow Springs, Ohio.  Interested storytellers, environmental educators and interpretive naturalists are welcome to attend.

The retreat is organized by the environmental discussion group which is a part of the National Storytelling Network.  The retreat is open to any person who is currently a storyteller, environmental educator or interpretive naturalist. The retreat is hosted and organized in the Vale community by storyteller Eric Wolf. A public performance on Saturday night of the retreat is a fund raiser for a local environmental nonprofit.

Participation in the retreat is free and lunch on Saturday is provided.  Presenters and participants are responsible for other meals, transportation, and for finding their own lodgings. Lodging suggestions are on the website. The retreat is limited to 25 people, including presenters.  Potential presenters are welcome to email their answer s to the three questions that are listed on the blog to Eric Wolf at ericwolf2@yahoo.com by 2/01/10.   Registration opens on 2/01/10 and ends 4/01/10.

Interested folks are welcome to check out http://eco-story-2010.blogspot.com/
For more information or call Eric Wolf at (937) 767-8696.

Jenn Romaniszak - Goals and intentions

 1) Why do an Eco-tellers retreat?

The exchange of ideas around a broad theme can be beneficial to a broad range of people.  Nature and Environment bring to mind very different types of stories for different people.  Traditional folk tellers, ecological activist tellers, and naturalist educators could learn for each others' styles and perhaps fuse it with their own.  I imagine, for example, someone who tells a really good tortoise and the hare story learning to twist it a bit to inspire a new eco-consious response in the listener.

Like many others have written here, I am interested in how we tell stories relevant to current issues, without painting the world disaster-colored, or creating an enemy of someone who exists in reality.  For both traditional tales meant to inspire respect or warning tales about a man-made environmental issue, it's hard to tell a story that speaks to multiple groups of people or doesn't come across as a thump on the head.

So many nature stories float out there in the ether.  Simply inspiring respect for nature is good, but with so many environmental hot button issues out there, are we, who are calling ourselves "eco-tellers", not called to do something more specific?  Without some degree of recognition to current events and issues, I fear many stories may just be perceived as eulogies, memorials, or memoirs for ideas whose times have passed.

 2) What is your intention for the retreat?

I hope to be a sponge soaking up as much wisdom as there is to share.  I would like to connect with other people doing similar types of work as myself, as well as those who would have relevant insight and critique as to methods.

My project, collecting stories about Mountain Top Removal, could easily have a specific enemy, and I am having a difficult time conceptualizing if/how this could be a non-partisian project.  I hope come come out of the retreat with some insights to frame it better.

3) If you have only one hour of the time with the whole group of 15 to 20 people what would you do?

I would have an open dialogue about the responsibility of storytellers, and question what, if any, responsibility we have to current issues when so many stories are about the past.  I would like to hear testimonies of those who have had to deal directly with the political arena or high stakes issue, with positive or negative outcomes.

Knowledge comes from the past, mistakes and victories.  I personally believe (and I am sure I am not alone) storytelling is the best way to teach.  There is a quote I like, it may be from George  Dawes Green, I am not sure, "If everyone told their story, then we would have the truth."

Jenn Romaniszak

Lisa Homes - Intentions and Answers...

 1) Why do an Eco-tellers retreat?   

By pooling our various approaches in using storytellling and theater we can advance our individual ability to educate the public on these environmental themes.  By learning to be more effective performers we can making it fun and interesting for children and adults to be environmentally educated.

 2) What is your intention for the retreat? 

To share my current work and learn more about what others are doing in environmental storytelling.

3) If you have only one hour of the time with the whole group of 15 to 20 people what would you do?

I would perform my educational plat called "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle." that I have produced and created with the support of the clark county waste management district,  I would love to get feed back from the group.

More on on Lisa Homes