Grace Alexander is a violinist, story keeper, and a tree farmer. She shares how her relationship with the land has been impacted by her family and their stories. In the aftermath of a devastating wildfire that threatened her home, Grace was moved to collaborate with composers to create new music that evokes resilience in the face of destruction. In this post election season, may we learn from the restorative forces that are always at work to heal the land.

Anna Vroengindeweij is a product designer specializing in biomimicry. She sees the Earth as her first teacher. Anna finds the interconnections and intricacies of nature to be the ultimate example of a well designed system. She shares about her initiative: the Oyster Spot and her desire to help restore the oyster reefs in the North Sea simply by giving them a place to live. The live premiere of Fading Radiance: Coralessence by Will Rand accompanies Anna's story. The piece is performed by the Mostly Modern Ensemble (Theo Vinden, conductor) at the Mostly Modern Festival in The Netherlands,

tsi sq́ʷalʔalq́ʷal Lora Pennington is an Upper Skagit storyteller, teacher, and artist. She shares The Year Round Story as taught to her by Vi taqʷšəblu Hilbert. Robert Hasselblad shares his own poetry as a companion to the story. Grace Alexander and Will Rand offer musical underscore throughout. Join us around the fire for storytelling and the creative spirit in action.