Waterfall Arts presents Fireside Chats, an enthusiastic experiment meant to ignite conversations, boost empathy, and offer a platform for shared stories to help all of us set new intentions for our collective future. The event will take place monthly on our front lawn for anyone to gather around warm fire pits for a night of storytelling.

Why a storytelling series? Stories have the potential to break down barriers, sharpen our radical listening skills, empower community, and make us feel part of something larger than ourselves.

Who is participating? These monthly chats will include a visit from another local non-profit organization to share about their experience serving our community, and to provide us with a theme for the evening. Community partnerships provide us with a platform for collaboration and an interdependence that is necessary as Waldo County–and the rest of the state–continue to deal with the repercussions of the pandemic.

Coastal Mountains Land Trust is our featured nonprofit this month, and they will kick off the evening with a story centering a personal land/trail-based experience. Coastal Mountains Land Trust has worked since 1986 to permanently conserve land to benefit the natural and human communities of the western Penobscot Bay. The Land Trust has protected over 13,000 acres, offering 45 miles of trails for public recreation.

What should I do if I want to come? For those interested in joining the conversation, consider themes for sharing a story around your own land/trail experience.