Jeremiah Lopez is a chef, poet, and his family's story keeper. He tells the stories of his family as they struggled to survive in the harrowing civil wars of Nicaragua and El Salvador as well as starting new lives in the United States. He is a gifted chef who brings people together around the table to share food that is connected to home. He shares poetry that weaves his own stories together in a way that honors all of the many lives around him. Featuring his work: "Salúd!" (c.w. contains depictions of violence)

Vicente Moreno is an indigenous cultural practitioner in the San Fransisco Bay Area. He is Otomi and shares Comanche lineage on his mother's side. He has lived his life embedded in community and culture within the Bay Area. Vicente focuses on sharing native arts with indigenous youth and families as a way to remain connected to ancestral wellness. He believes that connection to the Earth, our Mother, here on Turtle Island is what will heal the Earth and all living beings.

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.

Alrie Middlebrook is a garden designer, non-profit leader, botanist, ecologist, and an avid hiker. She knows the sustaining promise of native ecology and has a vision for how the human community can live in harmony with the rest of the biotic community. Her friend and apprentice, Sophie Chertok, an environmental planner, believes that the garden is the center of community life. Together, their friendship brings together profound and organic wisdom.

Youssef Ismail is a photographer, teacher, and scholar. He cares deeply for the wellbeing of the natural world and he is a living example of how to wait, watch, and listen for the wisdom that the Earth is offering in every moment. Youssef shares stories from his life journey and how they have shaped the way that he sees through his lens and from his heart.

Zoë García is a soprano vocalist, a poet, and a dreamer. Lahari Indraganti is a botanist, an ecologist, and a deep thinker. When they join together, they weave a thoughtful story about redwood trees, the gift of an inherited wonder for the Earth's bounty, and the life of the Bay Area. Featuring "That I Was Awake", written by Zoë and set to music by Will Rand.