Presenter: Kaley McCarty
Co-Presenters: Sierra Druley, Shahnaz Mooney, Forrest Hirsh
Mentor: Katie Lynch
Poster: 11
Major: Environmental Studies
Across cultures, storytelling is an ontological tool that connects people to each other and to the natural world. Stories forge a cognitive and sensory link between people and place as they are shared within a community and across generations. Although science can be an important tool in understanding what makes a place ecologically significant, it alone cannot inspire love and stewardship. Storytelling brings us into emotional and sensory conversation with place, augmenting empirical learning to compel us to care for and protect our environment. The River Stories project, as part of the Environmental Leadership Program, aims to harness the power of storytelling to bring the Eugene area and the University of Oregon into closer conversation with the many facets of our sole water source: the McKenzie River. The McKenzie River watershed is home to a unique mix of wildlife, natural landscapes, and human cultures. The River Stories team is focused on gathering and showcasing stories about the McKenzie River from the perspective of the people who live there.
Using a mix of photography, text, audio and video, the team seeks to understand the McKenzie River through the eyes of people who know it intimately. For example, Faith Davie crossed the river in a rowboat every morning to get to school in the 1920s. By bringing these stories into focus, the team hopes to serve the existing McKenzie River community (both human and ecological), and to expand the network of stewards who care for this river. We are working in conjunction with community partners, including the McKenzie River Drift Boat Museum and the Lane County Historical Museum, to further these goals. Stories about the river and its history will be displayed through public art installations, including a showcase at the Lane County Historical Museum, throughout the summer and fall of 2014.