Stories of the Land: Documenting Memories of Places that Matter

Everyone has a place that is special to them. We develop a connection to place through our own experiences and memories of our time there, and through stories from other people who also care about that place. In this online workshop, VLT is partnering with Vermont Folklife to give attendees tools to seek out and record oral histories that document your relationship to important places in your life and community. We will focus on: 

• Finding people to talk to and inviting them to participate 
• Options for audio recording 
• Eliciting rich responses through engaged listening and thoughtful questions 
• Preserving and sharing the recordings 
• Next steps for those who are motivated to continue 

This workshop will include time to practice newly learned skills with fellow participants (or with a friend or family member). 

This event is perfect for:

• People who care deeply about a place: a forest, homestead, farm, cemetery, community building, sledding hill, etc.
• People who want to learn and/or share about the history of stewardship on the land where they live, work, or play
• People interested in learning more about how to record oral histories and develop their interviewing skills
• People passionate about documenting intergenerational memory 

Instructors: 

Mary Wesley – Director of Education and Media, Vermont Folklife 

Andy Kolovos – Associate Director and Archivist, Vermont Folklife