‘Wild Words’ Event Invites Door County Students to Share Stories

(Left to right) Talia Tupa, Gibraltar Ecology Club president, and Jayda Greenwood, vice president of the Ecology Club, both seniors, stand alongside the bluebird nest boxes that the club built and installed at the Heins Creek Nature Preserve. These students and other from the Gibraltar Ecology Club members will share their stories at the Wild Words event. Photo by Julie Schartner.

“Wild Words: Earth Day Stories of Our Connection to the Land” is planned for 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 Write On, 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 is based on a format called “pecha kucha” which is Japanese for chit-chat. Using 20 pictures and 20 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 Write On, Door County. The first 10 students to sign up 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, call 920.746.1359 or email Cinnamon Rossman at [email protected] or Gretchen Schmelzer at [email protected].