If not purchased as part of the Earth Up Conference package, these videos are available for purchase through NSN’s Digital Library.
Growing up in Akron Ohio, a very shy child who loved bugs, Bettina Miller never imagined that she would be the central figure in a community drama that threatened the family she loved and taught her that the climate crisis is in all of our yards.
Judith Black is a professional storyteller and climate activist. Featured on stages from the Montreal Comedy Festival, to The Smithsonian Institution, to the Art Museum of Cape Town, to Hebrew University in Jerusalem, she has appeared 14 times at the National Storytelling Festival, and is the winner of the Oracle Award, storytelling’s most coveted laurel, the Brother Blue Award, and many others. Judith is a founding member of Sustainable Marblehead, a Rotarian, a member of 350MASS, Extinction Rebellion, JCAN, a fanatic organic gardener, and teaches this performing art. www.storiesalive.com
Alaska is a place of intact natural processes and jaw-dropping beauty, where animals and people still move to an ancient rhythm. Yet even in its ruggedness and remoteness, it is changing. Let storyteller Ingrid Nixon take you on a journey to celebrate this vast, wild landscape that she calls home.
Ingrid Nixon hails from Alaska. She is a world-traveling storyteller who whisks listeners away on journeys of the imagination. Exploration nail-biters, tall tales, traditional and personal stories—she tells them all at far-flung venues, including the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN, and on international expeditions. Ingrid’s three recordings have earned the Storytelling World Gold Seal and she is a champion liar many times over—a claim that makes her mother both proud and worried. She holds a Storytelling MA from East Tennessee State University. More at ingridnixon.com
The great woodlands call to us in this enchanting weave of storytelling, music and song celebrating the spirit of trees. These beautifully crafted traditional tales are both humorous and heartfelt, each one enhanced by evocative musical accompaniment. Clothed in the rich metaphors of myth, these playful and imaginative stories hold a gift for us all; an opening to the deep wonder and beauty of the forest.
A passionate teller of folkloric and original tales that center on the natural world, Diane’s innovative stories range from entertaining eco-tales to Seasonal and Solstice performances with music and song. Her place-based: “Living Myth Events,” lead audiences through special landscapes linking the journey with stories that reflect on the nature that surrounds us. From the Arnold Arboretum to AMC huts, she has given workshops, keynotes and storytelling performances on the interplay of nature, narrative and myth for over thirty years.
What does ‘wilderness’ really mean to us? Lisa Schneidau tells two classic British woodland tales from the Arthurian tradition. Discover how a fool created his own path to wisdom through the trees, and how a wise man gave himself up to the wild.
Lisa Schneidau is a storyteller and environmentalist based in Devon, England. Lisa’s storytelling is a warm mix of ancient tale and keen observation of the natural world, with an eye for the seasons and an ear for the voices of the ancestors. With over twenty five years working in wildlife conservation, Lisa brings a wealth of knowledge and infectious enthusiasm to her audience. She is the author of ‘Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland’ and ‘Woodland Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland’ (both History Press). @lisaschneidau, Lisa Schneidau Storyteller, email: | https://www.lisaschneidau.co.uk
Bil’s Grosspapa is a trickster of the finest kind. On a famiy vacation to the ocean, Grosspapa convinces Bil & Skeet that they broke the ocean. Hilarious events ensue.
Bil Lepp is an award winning storyteller, recording artist, author and newspaper columnist. He was featured at festivals all around the country until the stupid virus hit. leppstorytelling.com
Visit one of America’s greatest naturalists and wildlife artist. Listen
to tales of his adventures as Audubon enchants you with stories of his
travels and travails in the wildest places on the planet. He will bring
to life bird behavior and world history as he saw it in the early 1800s.
Brian “Fox” Ellis is an author, storyteller, and naturalist who works with science museums and environmental organizations. Author of 30 books including Learning From the Land: Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities. He recently launched two PBS TV series and a podcast Fox Tales International. | www.foxtalesint.com
Stories, Songs and lore celebrating the natural world. Deep insights into the relationships of humans and nature, how knowledge about the natural world is tied up in folklore, how to eat dandelions, how blackberry blossoms can predict the springtime, how to make a basket from a tree, what a pile of poop on the trail can mean…
Doug Elliott is a naturalist known for his lively storytelling as well as his broad, scientific and cultural knowledge of the natural world. He has been inducted into the NSN Circle of Excellence, featured at the National Storytelling Festival, He has conducted workshops and programs at the American Museum of Natural History the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Smithsonian Institution. He has trained rangers for the National Park Service. He has authored five books, produced award-winning recordings of stories and songs, and is occasionally seen on PBS-TV. dougelliott.com
If not purchased as part of the Earth Up Conference package, these videos are available for purchase through NSN’s Digital Library.
Breathe: A Story Eco Tour: Travel to Brazil’s amazing biomes with Brazilian storyteller Fabio Lisboa (and the traditional voices through him). From Indigenous peoples’ myths and ancient way of life to contemporary ecotales and organic farming, we will seek at the sunset, through the night and at the dawn of a new day, to know Curupira and other guardians of the forest. Let us help ourselves to breathe fresh air again and let our Mother Nature breathe in us.
Brazilian storyteller, speaker and author Fabio Lisboa has a degree in Languages and a postgraduate degree in Storytelling. He is a Storytelling Coach who highlights themes of Sustainability and the Culture of Peace. Fabio has performed and taught in Brazil, Argentina, Canada and United Arab Emirates. He writes at www.contarhistorias.com.br
Three Eco-Tellers: Eco Story Hour from India brings to you original tales, folktales and little tidbits of Indian environmentalism! There’s Jeeva Raghunath from Chennai – a veteran storyteller and a star, there’s Deepa Kiran from Hyderabad – who tells wonderful musical stories, and Nisha Abdulla from Bangalore – who spins original tales about everything around her!
Jeeva Raghunath (www.jeevarghunath.com) shares the Musical Plant (kinship with a little girl who plays violin) and Digging the Well (a woman organizes women to work together.)
Northtelling: Stories, music and images from Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories in northern Canada. Featuring the stories of Dennis Allen, William Greenland, Ben Nind, Andrea Bettger, Paul McKee and Pat Braden with host Ben Nind. This presentation shares the experience of living close to the environment in our modern era. It reveals deep connections between land and the humans who depend on it, offering ingredients for thought as we move into an unknown future. From ice roads to the fireside, we welcome you to Northtelling.
It is our privilege and pleasure to share with you, short videos from Earth Dance 2020: Offerings to Mother Earth by Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu’s First Voice. Please join us five minutes prior to each of the sessions to enjoy these offerings. Here is a link to all thirty five videos: http://www.firstvoice.org/earth-dance-offerings
Many traditions believe everything and everyone is part of a living, loving earth. Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, First Voice proudly presents a series of artist videos, all made during shelter in place, from the First Voice family of artists and healers. With these offerings, we radiate healing energy, and resonate in new and ancient ways with Mother Earth, so we can re-member how to love and care for Her and one another.
GREEN FIRE explores the life and legacy of famed conservationist Aldo Leopold (A Sand County Almanac) and the many ways his land ethic philosophy lives on in the work of people and organizations all over the country today. The film shares highlights from Leopold’s life and extraordinary career, explaining how he shaped conservation and the modern environmental movement. It also illustrates Leopold’s continuing influence, exploring current projects that connect people and land at the local level.
This evening program is brought to you by the Kansas Sierra Club. Their mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places on Earth. For more information, please visit Kansas.sierraclub.org.
This is a free event open to the general public.
Click here to attend the film and/or the discussion at 7 pm Central.
Discussion to follow with Jane Stenson and Linda Yemoto
Also available FREE on demand: Click here to view the documentary
If you have already seen the film and would just like to take part in the discussion, please use the access link to enter the room 1 hour after the start time of the event.
Remember to join us five minutes prior to each session to enjoy short videos from Earth Dance 2020: Offerings to Mother Earth by Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu’s First Voice. Click on the Thursday description to read more.
Baylee Ritter (Illinois), Shelby O’Neil (California), Charles, Robert & Joseph Hiatt (California), and John, James, Will, Andrew, Michael, & Robert McPhie (California). MC: Brian “Fox” Ellis (Illinois)
Can a collaboration among cousins combat climate crisis by empowering young people to perform bird-friendly mini-makeovers on their homes, schools, and parks? Can a high school group in Illinois restore an endangered species and help to remove prescription drugs from our waterways? Can a college student challenge the world to stop their use of plastic straws? Meet these students, hear their stories and learn how storytelling can lead you and your listeners to direct action through youth activism. Our young storytellers are leading the way!
Baylee Ritter is a conservation communicator and environmental educator who believes in the power of storytelling, community engagement and youth empowerment. She is National Geographic Young Explorer and a student co-founder of the “Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal Program” (P2D2), which now works in 28 states and 6 countries and has disposed of over 4.5 million pounds of medication. She is also the former student director and a founding member of Operation Endangered Species; which has helped raise and release 500+ species of a critically endangered snapping turtle in K-12 classrooms. Baylee is a former member of the World Oceans Day Youth Advisory Council and spoke on the Council’s behalf on the harm of single-use plastics at a 2017 United Nations General Assembly special session on the ocean. She is currently serving as the Youth Advisor for The Ocean Project and is the host of the Rise Up webinar! Contact: Baylee Ritter,
Shelby O’Neil is currently a sophomore at the University of California Berkeley majoring in Global Environmental Politics. A National Geographic Young Explorer, as well as the Founder of Jr Ocean Guardians and the No Straw November challenge, Shelby has been immersed in advocating for environmental action and equal education. As a past National Gold Award Girl Scout, O’Neil has worked with several companies in the aviation, health care, and beverage industries to reduce single-use plastic pollution. To date, over 40 million single-use plastic straws have been reduced annually from O’Neil’s corporate relationships. O’Neil has also worked in policy resulting in SCR-139 No Straw November statewide resolution and the passing of a “Straws Upon Request” bill in California. Contact: Shelby O’Neil,
Charles, Joseph, Robert, John, Michael, Robert Bruce, James, Will, and Andrew are high school students and cousins who are making a difference. Individually and as a group they have organized and worked on projects which have involved thousands of volunteers in Southern California and even in several other states and countries. For their efforts, they have earned the Outdoor Ethics Action Award, the Hometown USA Keep America Beautiful Award, two Congressional Award silver medals, the Irvine Rotary Youth Community Service Scholarship, a Presidential Volunteer Service Award gold medal, and a silver in the American Birding Association’s Young Birder of the Year mentorship program. They have built solid relationships with key community players: the local Youth Action Team, Scouts BSA, Sea & Sage Audubon Jr Naturalists, Botanical Gardens, city waste management offices, and civic clubs. They have been part of successful, ongoing conservation efforts at several schools and parks. Their current project is to teach young people how to perform mini-makeovers on their yards, patios, balconies, and shared spaces, recognizing and eliminating invasive plants, replacing them with bird-friendly native species, teaching best practices for landscaping, fertilizing, and composting in order to reduce their carbon footprint, create bird-friendly habitats, and fight climate change. John McPhie | , Charles Hiatt |
Beth Horner performs “The Pipeline Blues”, a story of sewage, humor, grit, persuasiveness and a song that changed environmental policy. She then takes us on her wild journey from inspirational spark, research, and interviews to her step-by-step story crafting process, legal considerations, and the story’s impact on further environmental activism.
Known for her vivacious stage presence and warm, energetic style, Beth’s repertoire of stories is noted as “heartfelt, articulate and truthful”. A 38-year internationally touring storyteller, teaching artist, consultant and narrative coach, she has performed at the National Storytelling Festival, International Art of Storytelling Festival, and Starlight Educational Foundation of Taiwan. Beth was narrative consultant for NASA/Johnson Space Center’s StoryMining Project and her Civil War story “The Silver Spurs” was inspiration for songwriters at Dollywood/ ISC’s first “Lyrics and Lore” Conference. Beth revels in performing “The Pipeline Blues” and has performed it for NASA and “Live From National Geographic”. www.BethHorner.com
How can we best communicate the stress our planet is under and some of the best ways to right it? Join storyteller, Judith Black, and earth scientist, Adam Sacks as we dive into the meaning of biodiversity and learn to create original stories that can powerfully communicate our Earth’s needs.
Judith Black is a professional storyteller and climate activist. Featured on stages from the Montreal Comedy Festival to The Smithsonian Institution, to the Art Museum of Cape Town, to Hebrew University in Jerusalem, she has appeared 14 times at the National Storytelling Festival and is the winner of the Oracle Award, storytelling’s most coveted laurel, the Brother Blue Award, and many others. Judith is a founding member of Sustainable Marblehead, a Rotarian, a member of 350MASS, Extinction Rebellion, JCAN, a fanatic organic gardener, and teaches this performing art.
Adam Sacks is Executive Director at Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. He holds an EDD from U MASS Amherst & ND, Bastyr University of Naturopathic Medicine. Adam has had careers in education, holistic medicine, computer technology, politics, and advocacy. For five years he directed a non-profit that worked with communities invoking basic democratic and constitutional principles to oppose detrimental local corporate activity. He has been a climate activist since 1999 and has been studying and writing about Holistic Management since 2007. On the side, he is an artist, writer, and student of classical piano. His primary goal is the regeneration of biodiversity and a livable planet. | https://bio4climate.org
How can we use stories to help ourselves and others cross the imaginal bridge from life as we know it now, to life as it could be in the more beautiful, regenerative world our hearts know is possible? Learn how to tell stories that can make a difference.
Australian storyteller, Jenni Cargill-Strong has five award-winning recordings. Her tale ‘The Mulberry Tree’, has just been published in ‘Stories to Light the Night’ by Susan Perrow. A qualified teacher, she began teaching storytelling in 2003 and with mentorship from Fran Stallings developed storytelling workshops for change-makers in 2015. www.storytree.com.au
Welcome, Land Acknowledgements, and a Keynote Presentation
Keynote by Jane Yolen: The Natural Me
Multiple prize-winning author Jane Yolen, whose 400th book recently saw print, will talk with us about why she so often writes about nature and why that is important. She will also read selected passages from her books. The talk will be followed by Q/A with Ms. Yolen.
Jane Yolen is a very busy person. Her 400th book came out in March of this year. That number is tiny compared to the number of poems she has written, having written one a day for twelve years. She estimates that more than 70 of her books could be considered poetry, putting the lie to the idea that poetry can’t make you a living. In fact, when a young librarian was quoted as saying that “[Jane Yolen] doesn’t write poetry,” she replied by writing a poem to that young librarian. Since it was Jane Yolen who wrote it, the poem was wise, entertaining, serious and a bit funny.
She has raised children to follow in her footsteps as a creator [two are published writers, and the third is an outstanding photographer]. She has written stories that blend the strongly folkloric with a love of nature, and the things of the natural world. She has six honorary doctorates, and lifetime achievement awards from the World Fantasy Association, the Science Fiction Writers of America and the Science Fiction Poetry Association, to go with awards both popular and academic. She has written novels for younger readers that retell classic folktales and myths in new ways, as well as creating original tales in the styles of both. She has written of the Holocaust, of King Arthur, and of dinosaurs brushing their teeth. She has a website with things written to help creative people face the fact that things get rejected sometimes. She cares about people, places and things. She is, as mentioned, a very busy person.
With ASL interpretation provided by Patrick Kelly & Libby Tipton
Libby Tipton is a professional sign language interpreter from Flag Pond, TN. Now in her 41st year of interpreting, she recently left East Tennessee State University (after 25 years) to work for the Tennessee School for the Deaf. Libby also works as a freelance interpreter, an ASL instructor, workshop presenter, and a consultant on deafness, focusing on storytelling and Appalachian culture. Having deaf parents, she was always a natural communicating other people’s stories through her hands. Now Libby tells her own tales about life in a colorful deaf Appalachian family.
Patrick Kelly is a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter. He has participated in two NSN events. His 40 plus years of work as an professional interpreter is a product of Libby Tipton’s own mothers instruction. Mr. Kelly has worked in college theater under Tony winner Audrey Norton doing stage voice. He provides access in higher education in 22 community colleges, and universities in the San Francisco bay area.
This presentation is accompanied by the telling of three stories from The Earth Stories Collection, a global bank of myths, legends, fables and folktales capable of transmitting a systemic, eco-centric and organicist worldview and illustrating the principles and values of the Earth Charter.
Grian A. Cutanda, PhD Social Education, MA Innovation and Research in Education, and MA and BA Psychology. Researcher and educator linked to the University of Granada, bestselling author, communicator and activist. Founder and executive director of The Earth Stories Collection. Sixteen books published, some of them translated into 12 languages. As an activist, organising campaigns in social movements like People’s Climate March (in Scotland), and Extinction Rebellion, in XR Spain (co-founder). Currently organising global campaigns. @GrianCutanda
Donald Smith, PhD, / Donald studied English Literature and Classical Greek at the University of Edinburgh. He is founding Director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre in 1996, and himself a storyteller, playwright, novelist and performance poet. Director of the Netherbow Arts Centre from 1983. He was also a founding Director of the National Theatre of Scotland and first Chair of the Literature Forum for Scotland. He has produced, adapted or directed over fifty plays and published a series of books and his essays on twentieth century Scottish playwrights are presently being published in Edinburgh University’s ‘Companions to Scottish Literature’ series.
Jennifer Ramsay, / Jennifer has a degree in Biological Sciences. She is a professional storyteller and is the director of Story Arte, centre for Art therapy and Storytelling. She trains people in the art of storytelling and facilitates workshops where she weaves stories with her training in Art Therapy, Gestalt therapy and Psychodrama. She invokes the ancestral wisdom of stories to transcend the present social and environmental problems. Her creativity is inspired in the dawn of humanity, when we used to listen to stories around the fire, to connect with ourselves, our clan and the universe.
Alette Willis, PhD, / is a storyteller, author and associate professor at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on the use of stories in environmental ethics and decision-making. She teaches on science communication, health, outdoor education and environmental education programmes. She was Storyteller in Residence to the Royal Zoological Society, Talking Tree at the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh and co-wrote Dancing with Trees: Eco-Tales of the British Isles (History Press). www.restoryingtheearth.com, @eddafied (Instagram), @AletteJWillis (twitter).
A virtual plant exchange! Bring stories of plants, flowers, trees and photos from your garden. Hosted by Karen Golden.
Karen Golden is an international storyteller/musician, especially on Zoom these days, and award-winning recording artist. Her written stories have been published in eight anthology collections. She is also the Founder/ Director of Creative Learning Place https://www.creativelearningplace.com/ a homeschool learning center founded in 2009 in Los Angeles, that has gone virtual. Karen is passionate about creating a paradigm shift in education and has helped 100’s of families navigate their homeschool journeys. Karen is also passionate about playing music, especially Klezmer music, and she is a co-founder of Klezmer Arts Institute Los Angeles KAILA which started in April, 2019. When she is not out and about making story, musical or educational connections, Karen can be found in her garden tending to her many flowers, plants and turtles. Her greatest joy is her husband Steve and daughter’s Hyla and Soli and their beloved dog Maymay. To learn more about Karen please click: https://www.karengolden.com/
Remember to join us five minutes prior to each session to enjoy short videos from Earth Dance 2020: Offerings to Mother Earth by Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu’s First Voice. Click on the Thursday description to read more.
Hosted by Judith Black (Massachusetts)
Come and hang out, warm up your body and spirit, play some fun theater games around climate guilt, and set your intention for the day.
RICE (Reducing Industrial Carbon Emissions) is a collaboration between the George Ewart Evans Centre for Storytelling and a group of scientists and industrial partners. It shows the power of digital storytelling to share advances in climate mitigation technologies between scientists and the public.
Joseph Daniel Sobol, Ph.D. is Director of the George Ewart Evans Centre for Storytelling at the University of South Wales. From 2000-2017 he led the Graduate Program in Storytelling at East Tennessee State University. He is the author of the books, “The Storytellers’ Journey: An American Revival,” and “Liars, Damn Liars, and Storytellers.” | +44 7804 520904
William Gold is a Research Associate and digital storytelling specialist for the RICE (Reducing Industrial Carbon Emissions) project.
Create a Nature Discovery Journal. Learn and practice simple ways to enjoy the nature experience with your child. Select from a choice of activities done in class. Bring 10 sheets of blank paper and colored pencils. Ideal for parents / grandparents.
Janice Kelley is the Founder and Program Director of Nature Detectives. She is an award-winning writer, naturalist and program leader; with a passion for creating meaningful connections to the outdoor world for children and families. As Guest Artist and Artist in Residence, Janice worked in dozens of classrooms leading art, science, nature and history programs. The Nature Detectives series of seasonal program guides create new ways for children and parents to discover the outdoor world wherever they live, using easily replicable activities. Learn more at https://naturedetectivesusa.com.
Sharing personal stories about discovering your passion for the environment. Why do we care? Our love of nature is often sparked by a memorable incident; perhaps a dramatic encounter, or a profound pastoral experience. Offering a forum for anyone to share a peak moment often has a ripple effect, reminds us of our interconnectedness, and perhaps even re-informs the teller. Hosted by Jackson Gillman.
Before getting sidetracked into performing, Jackson was an itinerant tree worker – making maple syrup, apple cider, and pruning trees as a licensed arborist. Since 1978, he has been entertaining and educating people of all ages. Many of his interactive presentations reflect his ecology background from the College of the Atlantic. Within his vast repertoire of Songs and Stories for a Small Planet, he has over a dozen programs which each revolve around a specific nature theme. In 2020, Jackson received NSN’s Oracle award and was inducted into their Circle of Excellence.
During this workshop we will explore, through myth, our connection to Nature and where disrespect and insatiable desire might lead us. Please bring a candle, lighter, paper, and pen to the workshop.
Giovanna Conforto teaches at the School of Storytelling, Emerson College (UK) and is the creative director of the Italian Storytelling Centre. She has participated in events and festivals all over Europe, Canada, and Asia. Among her collaborations the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, and the Global Science Opera. Giovanna tells and facilitates in Italian, French, and English.
www.centroitalianostorytelling.it http://www.emerson.org.uk/school-of-storytelling
FB: Giovanna Conforto
Stella Kassimati teaches around the world in both Greek and English. In following her passion, she is carrying a stream of Greek Mythology at the School of Storytelling, Emerson College (UK). People interested in Greek Myths, will be able to follow the energies of gods and goddesses and many major myths that have influenced and shaped our western culture and civilization and are relevant to us today. Stella is the founding Director of Friends of Amari, an international association contributing to the revival of the Valley and Village of Amari, her ancestral home in Crete.
We all have a story to tell. Discover your personal connection to climate change and how it can serve as a powerful tool to inspire others. This interactive workshop consists of a series of prompts that invite individual writing, reflection and small group sharing to develop your climate story.
Kira Liu is the Senior Community Engagement Coordinator at Climate Generation. Her work focuses on supporting communities to engage in climate change conversations and solutions, and supporting people to develop and share their own personal climate stories. https://www.climategen.org/who-we-are/our-team/kira-liu/
Jothsna Harris is the Director of Community Engagement at Climate Generation
Traditional stories in South America embrace and go beyond Mother Earth: many of them help us break the Western divide between humans exploiting and nature being exploited. This presentation interweaves stories with environmental and anthropological approaches to inspire and bring a new perspective.
Anabelle Castaño is a storyteller, archaeologist and museum educator from Argentina. Find out more: https://sites.google.com/view/anabelle-cas/about-anabelle
Discover the world of environmental stories. You’ll learn what makes a story “environmental.” Where to look for environmental stories, and how to adapt and create them for new situations. We’ll use examples from my book Tales with Tails: Storytelling the Wonders of the Natural World.
Award-winning naturalist author and storyteller Kevin Strauss tells animal stories and environmental folktales from around the world. Energetic and dynamic, Kevin has presented numerous workshops at Northlands and has presented at the and the National Storytelling Conference including workshops on Environmental Storytelling, Story Review Techniques, Teaching Science with Stories, Book Publishing. Find Kevin online at www.naturestory.com.
Nick Smith is a storyteller residing in southern California, telling folktales and historical tales to kids and adults. He has told stories at science fiction conventions, graveyards and Victorian houses, as well as at other places that didn’t know they needed storytelling…
Sparkling with energy, wit and whimsy, Jackson Gillman is so adept at transforming into a wide array of colorful characters and animals, that he is known as the “Stand-Up Chameleon.” Much of his repertoire reflects his ecology background from the College of the Atlantic and he has developed scores of programs revolving around specific nature themes. Through his many talents as songsmith, comic, mime and storyteller, he has been delighting audiences of all ages for four decades. In 2020, Jackson received NSN’s Oracle award and was inducted into their Circle of Excellence. http://www.jacksongillman.com
Jill Lamede, The Tintagel Storyteller, lives in the magical birthplace of King Arthur, and may often be found telling tales on the cliffs above Tintagel Castle. Having been an actress all her life, she only discovered storytelling some 25 years ago and realised she had found her true calling at last. In ancient days tiny Tintagel was a major port – excavations have found pottery fragments from all over the Mediterranean and even further East. The stories that would have been heard in the taverns would be the ones told by the visiting sailors and merchants – so these are the tales Jill loves to tell.
I am a storyteller at the Asian Art Museum who tells stories around the objects in the vast collection. I enjoy tapping into my childhood for stories that have timeless appeal for all ages. I am a volunteer storyteller and love exchanging multi cultural stories. I am on the SAC Board and working to get stories into underserved schools.
Steve’s stories are about farmers and farm life. They are tales that often include animals and outside adventures. And they tell about universal experiences like fear, failure, bravery, and love. They are guaranteed to entertain, educate, and inspire. His personal narratives tell about his life growing up on an Illinois corn farm AND creating a goat cheese dairy farm on an abandoned tobacco farm in North Carolina. His engaging and intimate style will warm your heart and make you smile. Now retired, Steve tells stories and teaches young farmers. www.stevetatestoryteller.com
Brian “Fox” Ellis is an author, storyteller, and naturalist who works with science museums and environmental organizations. Author of 30 books including Learning From the Land: Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities. He recently launched two PBS TV series and a podcast Fox Tales International.
I began storytelling for Glasgow Libraries in 1992, and I have a Masters degree in Scottish Folklore. Wildlife conservation has been my life-long passion, which is reflected in my storytelling work at climate conferences, in nature reserves and forests. My first book, written with Alette Willis, Dancing With Trees, Eco-Tales from the British Isles, History Press 2017, is a collection of stories from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales with environmental themes and activities. My second book Lanarkshire Folktales is out, April 2021. Contact:
Brazilian storyteller and award-winning author with a degree in Languages and a postgraduate degree in Storytelling. Consulting specialist in Story Reading. Also a Storytelling Trainer who has performed and taught in Brazil, Argentina, Canada and United Arab Emirates. He writes at www.contarhistorias.com.br
Rebecca is Belgian-British and is currently based in the South of Spain in the Alpujarra mountains. She tells stories in English, Spanish and French wherever the wind takes her. Her passion is to look into people’s eyes, and travel with them through stories. She trains teachers in storytelling techniques, and has given workshops in such diverse places as monasteries in the Himalaya and a prison in Barcelona. Storytelling is a form of communication that goes way beyond words; it is a heart to heart interaction, and that is why she loves it!
FB: @rebeccatalesandstories
A Storyteller by Passion and by Choice. Believes that stories are there all around us in plenty as free as the air we breathe and that storytellers can be the channel to spread the stories. A deep desire in educating the underprivileged through language development and through stories.
Services that I offer: various story-based workshops for children, adults; training workshops for teachers; helping schools to integrate storytelling in their curriculum.
YouTube channel: Katha Krafters
Website: www.kathakrafters.com
Blog: https://reelrani.wordpress.com/
email:
Lisa Schneidau is a storyteller and environmentalist based in Devon, England. Lisa’s storytelling is a warm mix of ancient tale and keen observation of the natural world, with an eye for the seasons and an ear for the voices of the ancestors. With over twenty five years working in wildlife conservation, Lisa brings a wealth of knowledge and infectious enthusiasm to her audience. She is the author of ‘Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland’ and ‘Woodland Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland’ (both History Press).
@lisaschneidau, Lisa Schneidau Storyteller, email:
Brazilian storyteller and award-winning author with a degree in Languages and a postgraduate degree in Storytelling. Consulting specialist in Story Reading. Also a Storytelling Trainer who has performed and taught in Brazil, Argentina, Canada and United Arab Emirates. He writes at www.contarhistorias.com.br
Anne E Stewart is an acclaimed storyteller with an international reputation. A versatile performer Anne has the energy and voice to engage any audience. Her focus is on the shared stories of Australia honouring First Nations, Celtic, Asian and World stories. Anne has told stories in some of Australia’s major cultural institutions and been invited guest at Storytelling festivals throughout Australia, Iran, the UK, US and in Mexico and Colombia. Anne is a consummate MC with the ability to create shows tailored to audience needs. Web: anneestewart.com.au | storyhouseandgarden.com | thecicada.com.au | Email
Hula Mu’umu’u is a ‘Ohana Beamer (Beamer Family) original based on an ancient mo’olelo (story) about the Goddess Hi’iaka and her encounter with an armless and legless woman.
This tale appears courtesy of First Voice (Brenda Wong Aoki & Mark Izu) www.firstvoice.org. Other artistic shorts open many Earth Up Sessions – many thanks
Keola Beamer is a Hawaiian legend: singer-songwriter, composer, guitar master, with an impeccable, gorgeous style that is featured on The Descendants soundtrack and 17 CDs. Keola was one of the first to use Hawaiian slack key techniques to create contemporary music that is also at home on jazz or classical stages. He also writes short stories. His wife Moanalani Beamer joins Keola in performances with her beautiful hula. https://kbeamer.com
Mother Earth holds us all, she feeds us all. Ashes to ashes, waves in and out… Earth. Share your story of connection, your natural disaster survival tale, a tale of caring for another living thing, your tale of growth. Bring it, tell it, come hear it all, at the MOTHER EARTH Story Slam!
Hosted by Allison Broeren
Allison Broeren is the Director of Word Sprout and co-owner of Strike Theater in Northeast Minneapolis. She has organized between 50-70 shows a year since 2006 in the Twin Cities. Allison teaches storytelling at Strike Theater, has been heard on the Moth Main Stage, MPR, The MN Book Awards, MN Fringe Festival, KFAI, The Tour de Fat MainStage, political fundraisers, local block parties, and coffee tables all through the land.
The City Pages has named her an artist to watch and awarded her Best Spoken Word Event. The Pioneer Press named her shows the Best Performance Opportunity. In 2013 she was named a Changemaker of the Year for her work on the Women of the World Poetry Slam. Allison loves a great story–both sharing and listening–and is so excited to have worked with this group of performers!
Storytellers tell 5-minute, true personal stories under the theme of “Mother Earth” for the chance to win. $100 for first place, $50 for second place, and $25 for third place. Throw your name in the hat and register for the event for your chance to take the stage.
RULES:
1. You will have 5 minutes to tell your story with a 30-second grace period. At six minutes, your story will be cut off. The audience will take the length of your story into account in their voting.
2. Your story must be a true personal story that happened to you, related to the theme: Mother Earth.
3. You must agree to have your story recorded, and give NSN the rights to use that story in the future (more details in the call for submissions).
4. You must also register for the Slam as part of the Earth Up Conference.
Join Linda Yemoto, storyteller and retired naturalist, to share laughter, conversation, and more. Here’s your chance to meet some fellow participants at this virtual open bar.
As a park naturalist for over 35 years, Linda was known as “Ranger Linda” to hundreds of school children and families. Realizing early in her career, how storytelling could bring life to the ecology lessons in her nature programs; Linda was hooked. She has been involved in the storytelling community ever since. She served on the Board of Directors for the National Storytelling Network for six years, and chaired the Bay Area Storytelling Festival for over 30 years. Since retiring, she joined the storytelling corps and docent staff at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum where she continues to enjoy interpreting art through story. Linda is currently working with a group of Asian American storytellers to create a YouTube channel of stories and activities to promote awareness and appreciation of Asian American culture. Look for Asian American Storytopia to launch this May. Linda can be reached at
Remember to join us five minutes prior to each session to enjoy short videos from Earth Dance 2020: Offerings to Mother Earth by Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu’s First Voice. Click on the Thursday description to read more.
4th of November is celebrated as Ganga Utsav (Festival), a celebration of India’s largest river Ganges. What role does Storytelling have in a festival like this? Indian Storyteller Rituparna Ghosh has been curating and performing live at the festival for the past two years and shares her story.
You can describe her as a story digger, story charmer, story gatherer, story extractor…Rituparna is anything but just a storyteller! An international storyteller and a TEDx speaker Rituparna Ghosh is the Founder of Your Story Bag, a Storytelling, Training and Consulting company. She works with listeners, children, adults, organisations, non-profits and corporate helping them harness the power of stories. Recently, she developed a Storytelling as Pedagogy for CBSE. A former television producer, turned storyteller, Rituparna produces two podcasts. Email her:
An invitation for participants to explore the process of taking stories, folklore and memories of a place. We will decoct them, distilling them down to become new creative interpretations, offering new stories infused with old, offering insights into how we renew our relationship with the environment.
Amanda was brought up storytelling; coming from a family of plant-loving writers and artists, she first learnt about plants from her gran who remembered traditional recipes and folklore. After studying law and then herbal medicine, Amanda started combining stories and plants, connecting them to place, creating new work in a way designed to get people thinking, finding connections. Amanda has created work for Botanic Gardens, museums, schools and universities internationally since 2010 www.botanicafabula.co.uk www.facebook.com/AmandaEdmistonBotanicaFabulaHerbalStorytelling @HerbalStorytell
Hosted by Doug Elliott
Doug Elliott is a naturalist known for his lively storytelling as well as his broad, scientific and cultural knowledge of the natural world. He has been inducted into the NSN Circle of Excellence, featured at the National Storytelling Festival, He has conducted workshops and programs at the American Museum of Natural History the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Smithsonian Institution. He has trained rangers for the National Park Service. He has authored five books, produced award-winning recordings of stories and songs, and is occasionally seen on PBS-TV. www.dougelliott.com
Dr. Margaret Read MacDonald is author of over 66 books on storytelling and folklore topics. Retired from a career as children’s librarian, she travel widely offering her Playing with Story workshops and sharing her tales.
The Whitman Tellers: Jen and Nat Whitman are storytellers and international educators who perform together as a tandem-storytelling team. Jen and Nat specialize in sharing lively, audience-participation folktales with family audiences. They weave music and movement into their performances and encourage listeners to jump up and join in the fun! Originally from the United States, the Whitmans have taught for nearly two decades in schools in Hong Kong, Germany, and Thailand. They are passionate about using storytelling in the classroom and co-authored a book with Margaret Read MacDonald called, Teaching With Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling.
Australian storyteller, Jenni Cargill-Strong has five award-winning recordings. Her tale ‘The Mulberry Tree’, has just been published in ‘Stories to Light the Night’ by Susan Perrow. A qualified teacher, she began teaching storytelling in 2003 and with mentorship from Fran Stallings developed storytelling workshops for change-makers in 2015. www.storytree.com.au
Joe Hayes is an award-winning author and nationally recognized teller of Southwestern folktales from the Hispanic, Native American and Anglo cultures. His bilingual Spanish-English storytelling has earned him a distinctive place among America’s storytellers. He has published over twenty-five children’s books. Joe has visited over 3,000 schools and done a summer storytelling series at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe for 37 years. A whole generation of Southwestern children has grown up listening to Joe’s tales.
Joe has received: The Texas Bluebonnet Award, The Arizona Young Readers’ Award, The Land of Enchantment Book Award, The Southwest Book Award, The Latino Family Literacy Award, The National Storytelling Association Talking Leaves Oracle Award, New Eminent Scholar Award, The New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, and New Mexico Centennial Storyteller
Ariyo Zidni (Indonesia), Jeeva Raghunath (Tamil), Kiran Shah (Gujarati), Birte Harksen and Ingibjörg Sveinsdóttir (Iceland), Alton Chung (Hawaii)
Judith Black is a professional storyteller and climate activist. Featured on stages from the Montreal Comedy Festival to The Smithsonian Institution, to the Art Museum of Cape Town, to Hebrew University in Jerusalem, she has appeared 14 times at the National Storytelling Festival and is the winner of the Oracle Award, storytelling’s most coveted laurel, the Brother Blue Award, and many others. Judith is a founding member of Sustainable Marblehead, a Rotarian, a member of 350MASS, Extinction Rebellion, JCAN, a fanatic organic gardener, and teaches this performing art.
Roger Jenkins is a Singaporean storyteller who started his oral journey in 1998 and The Tailor was one of the very first stories that leapt into his repertoire and he’s loved being interactive ever since. Founder of the 398.2 Storytelling Festival (2015 to present) and co-founder of FEAST (Federation of Asian Storytellers)
Paula Martín is a storyteller, teacher and a specialist on children and young adult’s literature and on reading promotion born in Buenos Aires Argentina. As a bilingual storyteller she has participated in several International Festivals and has toured around United States, Cuba, South Africa, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, India, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Her storytelling style is a highly energetic and engaging performance and her repertoire includes traditional and literary tales, poems, rhymes, riddles, tongue twisters, and songs that she combines with the charming sounds of South American instruments such as charango, quena and sikus. Some of these stories were published by Libraries Unlimited in her book “Pachamama Tales”, edited by Margaret Read MacDonald.
Roger Jenkins (Singapore), Rona Mentari (Indonesia), Ahn Sook Kim (Korea), Alla Lebedeva (Russia), Rituparna Ghosh (India-Hindustani), Cem Alfar (Turkey), Simone Sales (Philippines-Tagalog)
Roger Jenkins (MC): a Singaporean storyteller and co-founder of FEAST, the Federation of Asian Storytellers. A keen promoter of bi-lingual storytelling, he gathered fellow FEAST members from Indonesia (Rona Mentari), Korea (Ahn Sook Kim), Russia (Alla Lebedeva), India (Rituparna Ghosh), Turkey (Cem Alfarc) and the Philippines (Maria Simone Sales) to play the different characters in this story, speaking in their Mother Tongues
Dr. Margaret Read MacDonald is author of over 66 books on storytelling and folklore topics. Retired from a career as children’s librarian, she travel widely offering her Playing with Story workshops and sharing her tales.
Sheila Wee is a Singaporean storyteller, who has been living and breathing storytelling since 1998. She was instrumental in the revival of storytelling in Singapore and through her role as a Founding Director of the Federation of Asian Storytellers (FEAST www.feast-story.org) she is helping to support storytellers throughout Asia. Sheila loves to tell, but she gets the most joy in helping others to tell and most of her work is in teaching storytelling across a broad range of applications; from using storytelling in all levels of education, from preschool to university, to the use of storytelling in organisations and cultural institutions. Sheila’s work has taken her beyond the shores of her small island nation, to Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, the UK and Vietnam.
Paula Martín is a storyteller, teacher and a specialist on children and young adult’s literature and on reading promotion born in Buenos Aires Argentina. As a bilingual storyteller she has participated in several International Festivals and has toured around United States, Cuba, South Africa, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, India, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Her storytelling style is a highly energetic and engaging performance and her repertoire includes traditional and literary tales, poems, rhymes, riddles, tongue twisters, and songs that she combines with the charming sounds of South American instruments such as charango, quena and sikus. Some of these stories were published by Libraries Unlimited in her book “Pachamama Tales”, edited by Margaret Read MacDonald.
Heather Forest is a modern day bard. A pioneer in the American Storytelling Renaissance, her repertoire of world tales told in a fusion of poetry, prose, original folk music and the sung and spoken word has been featured in theatres, schools, conferences and major storytelling festivals throughout the United States and abroad. She is an author of seventeen award winning folktale books and storytelling recordings and holds a PhD in Leadership and Change from Antioch University. She is a recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award presented by the National Storytelling Network and is Executive Director of Story Arts, a Long Island, New York based not-for-profit organization dedicated to the art of storytelling and its educational applications.
Laura is an internationally acclaimed storyteller, recording artist, coach and writer. She combines traditional stories with personal narrative. Her performances are profoundly uncanny and riveting and her teaching is “legendary”. She is a contributing editor for Parabola Magazine and is the artistic director of the Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center, NY. She won the Oracle Award and A Lifetime Achievement Award from NSN. Laura served as a Senior Research Fellow at Rutgers University Peace Center under the auspices of UNESCO. She won the Sesame Street SUNNY DAYS AWARD for her work with children worldwide, and has appeared at: Nobel Peace Festival in Oslo, in theaters and festivals worldwide. Laura’s recording Four Legged Tales was a runner up Grammy. She has written five books and saved a zoo in Romania. Her most recent books are OUR SECRET TERRITORY and THE ROBE OF LOVE. www.laurasimms.com
Milbre Burch is a GRAMMY-nominated spoken word recording artist and an internationally known storyteller. She has been featured at the National Storytelling Festival eight times and has performed and taught across the US, and in Europe and Asia. www.kindcrone.com
Gerald Fierst, storyteller, author, and literacy educator, has worked in film, television, and theater as well performing and recording in the US, Europe, and Asia as a storyteller. He is the recipient of two Parents Choice Awards for his recordings of world folktales. Fierst has been a featured teller and ghost story teller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN, a Storyteller in Residence at the International Storytelling Center, and is on line with scholastic.com. He has presented and performed at CAJE, LIMMUD, and the National Havurah Conference. He is a recipient of the JustStories Fellowship for his work with Susan O’Hallaran and Arif Choudhury about Jewish, Muslim, and Christian identity in 21st Century America. He is the author of The Heart of the Wedding, a non fiction book of wedding stories and ceremonies and Imagine the Moon, a STEAM book of poetry, science and folklore, and Bye, Bye, Big! A preschool picture book co authored with Margaret Read MacDonald. ABC NEWS called him “A MASTER STORYTELLER”
Carol Birch, an NSN Circle of Excellence Oracle Award recipient. A university instructor, award-winning author, recording artist, director, and storyteller, Birch’s performed across America at conferences, universities, and festivals – including nine appearances at the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee. She’s traveled on invitational tours to Australia, Canada, Europe, and Singapore. Media appearances include ABC’s Nightline, The Morning Show on CBS, and National Public Radio. www.carolbirchstoryteller.com
Alicia DongJoo Bang is a professional storyteller and passionate educator based in the Republic of Korea. She has delighted children and adults with her storytelling performances for years, and she now directs international storytelling festivals in South Korea. She is the founder of Story School, which is a unique storytelling school in Korea, and of KISA, the Korea International Storyteller Association.
Join your fellow participants and NSN Chair Katie Knutson for a reflection of the weekend. Share experiences, takeaways, insights, and future actions in small group breakout rooms. We will close with the song “One Foot/Lead With Love” by Melanie DeMore. http://www.melaniedemore.com