Words in the Wild 2023
Earth Day programs connect Art & Nature
West Barnstable, MA – In celebration of its 40th Anniversary year, Barnstable Land Trust is launching its second annual Words in the Wild program on Earth Day, April 22, featuring four local poets whose site-specific poems are etched on cedar-plank trail signs at four BLT properties. The cedar trail signs include a QR code connecting to audio recordings and other information about each poet. New this year are two free Art and Nature poetry workshops on Earth Day, April 22, and May 6 which are supported in part by grants from the Mid-Cape Cultural Council (a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency), and the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod.
Words in the Wild 2023 inspiration can be discovered on the following BLT trails:
Coombs Bog, Centerville: “Possibility” by Deirdre G. Callanan
Lowell Park, Cotuit: “Lowell Park Woodlands Trail” by Robin Smith-Johnson
Two Art and Nature poetry workshops are also being offered free but preregistration is required:
Saturday, April 22 at 10 am with Deirdre Callanan, 2023 Words in the Wild Poet, at Barnstable Land Trust’s Conservation Center in West Barnstable
Friday, May 5 at 2 pm with Diane Hanna, 2022 Words in the Wild Poet, in partnership with the Cotuit Library in the reading room
“Earth Day is a perfect time to get outdoors and be inspired by the powerful words of local poets and the beauty of our natural spaces,” said Janet Milkman, BLT’s Executive Director. “This year, thanks to special funding support from the Mid-Cape Cultural Council and the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod, as well as a partnership with the Cotuit Library, we are excited that the public can explore their own creative connections between art and nature through two free poetry workshops.”
The original program was conceived by author, poet, and artist Lauren Wolk, who approached Barnstable Land Trust to partner on the initiative. Working with her colleague Bob Nash, the duo broadened the partnership to include the Cape Cod Makers group who used their specialized GlowForge technology to engrave the poems on cedar plaques. A team of BLT volunteers led by Kelly Barber, Director of Land Stewardship, installed the special signs on BLT trails.
Last year’s program added trailside poetry inspiration at Pogorelc Sanctuary (West Barnstable), Fuller Farm (Marstons Mills), Ropes Field (Cotuit), and Eagle Pond and Little River Sanctuary (Cotuit).
“When I ‘retired,’ I vowed that I would continue to work on exciting projects to build bridges between artists and their audiences,” Wolk said after her retirement from the Cultural Center of Cape Cod in Yarmouth. “Based on the feedback from last year, I am excited to see Words in the Wild expand to new trails and engage even more people.”
For more information on Words in the Wild 2023, individual poems, recorded readings, and event information, please visit https://blt.org/words-in-the-wild-2023
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Barnstable Land Trust (BLT) is a community-supported, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving open space and natural resources in the Town of Barnstable and nearby areas. BLT has protected 1,100 acres in the Town of Barnstable and supported the Town in conserving over 11,000 more. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2023, BLT is a regional leader in collaborative land preservation and stewardship, community engagement, training, and advocacy. BLT also leverages its conservation expertise to inform local public decisions as they impact our ecosystems, community health, well-being, and quality of life. To learn more about BLT’s special 40th Anniversary events including the Hike Barnstable Challenge and the first-of-its-kind 2-day live Readathon of Thoreau’s Cape Cod, BLT’s trailside poetry initiative Words in the Wild, or to access one of its three popular trail map guides (Barnstable Trail Guide, Cape Cod Pathways/Barnstable Trail Guide, and Eagle Pond & Little River Sanctuary Trail Guide, visit http://www.BLT.org or call 508-771-2585.
Lauren Wolk is an author, poet, and artist who resides in Centerville. Her newest novel is My Own Lightning, the sequel to her Newbery Honor award-winning book, Wolf Hollow. To learn more, visit her website at http://www.laurenwolk.com/
The Cape Cod Makers is a group that seeks to promote a community where people can collaborate and encourage one another in bringing their ideas into existence. Cape Cod Makers is engaged in promoting the Maker and DIY culture on Cape Cod through meetups, connecting local makers, hosting classes, group activities, promoting shared resources and maker spaces while also celebrating the abundance of artistic and technical talent on Cape Cod. To learn more about the Cape Cod Makers, visit their website at https://capecodmakers.org
Mid-Cape Cultural Council/Massachusetts Cultural Council: This program is supported in part by a grant from the Mid-Cape Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Arts Foundation of Cape Cod: The program is supported in part by a grant from the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod whose mission is to support, promote, and celebrate the arts and culture of Cape Cod in order to sustain a vibrant, diverse and strong arts community.
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