Another Successful StoryWalk

On December 11, 2011 we set of into Lambton Woods.  The day was sunny and fairly mild for the season.  We visited the two feeders and at the first feeder we saw lots of Downy Woodpeckers, male and female, also Chickadees.  There were some Red Squirrels racing around, tried to feed them but they are very wary.  At the other feeder further into the woods there no birds but lots of Grey Squirrels. From there we went onto the footbridge above the Humber River where a large community of Mallards and Black Ducks had gathered.  At this point I told my story, this time a true story about a disabled Cardinal, a true hero.

Then we walked along the shore of the Humber back towards James Gardens. A couple of flocks of Canada Geese drifted in and, again, there were Mallards gathered where people throw  bread. There were, however a couple of ducks that we could not identify; we're thinking some sort of hybrid perhaps.  They were the size and shape of Mallards, and one had the Mallard's shiny green head, however their fronts were pure white.  Other than that the colouring resembled more that of the Black Duck. 

Arriving back at James Gardens the Mallards on the pond were putting on quite a show.  They seemed to be turning themselves into water fountains by flapping their wings in the water and then standing up and flapping the wings in the air so that droplets of water came off in all directions, sparkling in the sunlight.  Beautiful.  The squirrels are friendly here and came up to my hand for peanuts.

Our upcoming walk is set as January 8, 2012, "Back to the Spit"

Storytelling nature walks

I have allied myself with Toronto Pig Save and, under their auspices, have started a series of Storytelling nature walks.  The way it works is as follows: I choose a good location to view nature, depending on the season (and weather) and we set out to see what we can see. Then  in the middle of the walk we pause and I tell a story always nature related and mostly true stories.

Walks we have done so far.
October 30, 2011, Leslie Street Spit.  Beautiful mild day.  Most migrant birds had moved on, however we did see a number of shorebirds, such  as Longtailed Ducks, Hooded Merganzers, Gulls(of course), Mute Swans, Trumpeter Swans. We also saw Golden Crowned Kinglets (including a visit to the banding station where we saw a GCK released),  In addition we saw lots of Woolly Bear caterpillars and some enormous Carp attempting to breach the barrier that keeps them out of the lagoons.

The main story told that day was about the amazing Peregrine Falcon, 'Windwhistler', this a true story from my own observations and my affiliation with the Canadian Peregrine Foundation as a volunteer.

November 20, 2011, Humber Bay East.   Very windy, but sunny.  We started out on the footbridge over the Mimico Creek.  Because of the relevance of this location, I started with the true story of the Passenger Pigeons that used to frequent this place in their billions but were hunted out of existence. A lesson to us! As I talked I got a glimpse of movement down on the rocks and there we were treated to the sight of a Mink running along, what sleek and beautiful creatures they are. Walking toward the lake we saw a Mockingbird in some sumac and as we made our way down the bank to see the Beaver's lodge, we saw a Great Egret in the shallows.  Then we saw flocks of Canada Geese overhead, and at the lagoons there were Mallards, Buffleheads, Hooded Merganzers, Lesser Scaup. At the lake the wind was whipping the waves into a frenzy and lone Common Merganzer was bouncing in the surf.

Upcoming Walk
December 11, 2011, Lambton Woods, starting at entrance to James Gardens at 9:30 a.m.





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I'm Back and Walking!

After being away almost 2 months I am back at my blog and from now on I am going to put my postings on a regular schedule.

In the meantime,  I have been busy with various projects including the promised Story Stick. On the previous post I described the origin and purpose of this storytelling tool and showed possible materials I could use. I am quite pleased with my effort and I am pleased to say that my Talking(Story) Stick is now in use.  Following are pictures.

    Closeup Details                  

With my new mobility, I am now leading birdwatching walks again, but with a difference.  I include stories, especially those that are relevant to the location or other feature of the walk.  Generally we pause at mid walk and we have a snack and story break.  So far these stories tend to be true accounts rather than folklore, however, I could see occasions where a folk story would fit. These walks are very popular and our upcoming walk on December 11 is to be at Lambton Woods.

Further information from dianas.tales@gmail.com

The Talking Stick (sometimes called Story Stick)

An Ingenious, and peacable, way to keep order

The Talking Stick comes to us from First nations Indiginous people.

From earliest times, First nations people have used a special decorated stick called a Talking Stick that is passed from person to person when they hold tribal meetings or other gatherings . The person holding the stick speaks and everyone else listens. Then it is passed to the next speaker. The Talking Stick is a symbol to all members of the tribe and held in great respect.

Today, the concept of the Talking Stick has evolved into the Story Stick used in many Storytelling venues. It helps the audience to focus and listen to the Storyteller and can also help others to get the courage to tell their stories in their turn  As the speaker completes their turn, they pass the object to their neighbour, who may speak or may choose to sit, in silence, and pass the stick on to the nearest neighbour.

In other cultures a similar object is used to this purpose.  This could be a conch shell, a pebble or other artifact depending on geographical area.

In Storytelling ideally everybody forms a seated circle shoulder-to-shoulder, so that they can see each other's faces, including those on either side of them. This becomes impractical for large circles and folks may be nested 3 or more deep so that everyone is close enough to hear.

Talking circle

A talking circle, is a method used by a group to discuss a topic in an egalitarian and non-confrontational manner. As previously said, this aspect is also used in Storytelling.  The rules are as follows:

Ø      Only the person holding a specific object, such as a Talking Stick, may speak.

Ø      An effort is made to listen as you would want to be listened to when you are speaking.

Ø      The Talking Stick passes around the circle

Some Storytellers fashion their own Story Sticks, and, ideally these reflect their own personalities.  On First nations culture websites there are numerous ideas suggesting type of wood to be used, particular colours to be used  and  decorative materials choice, such as feathers, beads, ribbons, etc. according to the nature of the user.

Following are images of Talking Sticks gleaned from online: 



                                             

I have set myself the pleasurable task of making my own story stick from a bare twig, and in upcoming blogs I shall take you along in the process.

Basic StickVarious materials

Some Personal Notes About my Journey into Storytelling

In retrospect it seems that I have always been a storyteller, inside, that is, but early events in my life made me very shy, timid to speak up.  I recall times when, sitting with a group of people and the talk going around, and me thinking up points to add to conversation, stories to tell to illustrate a point, and never being able to get into the flow. I recalled being told at school "not to interrupt". After a while I didn't even look for an opening and just sat there dumb, so much so that I got a reputation as not being very good company or, worse, of being snobby and stuck up!!!

I got to the point where I could hardly stand up and give my name in public

I tried joining a local storytellers' group in Toronto, a place where each person who wants to tell a story is welcome to stand up and speak, guaranteed not to be interrupted.  This worked for a while and I eventually got up the courage to 'tell', but afterwards I felt so embarrassed that the old shyness returned.

That shyness changed dramatically years later when I was invited to a

Storytellers' Gathering. 

I had made up my mind that I should confront my fears, being able to tell stories was very important to me. We met at in a century old barn in rural Ontario.  The gathering consisted of storytellers, musicians, and singers; our hostess a well known and well versed Storyteller with countrywide connections and a plethora of stories, old and new, folk and legend.  You name a subject, any subject, and she's got a story to tell.  I was nervous, so much talent around me.   So much so that I feared that, after listening other participants,  I could very well back out again and despise myself as a coward.  So, as soon as the call went out, "Who's got a story to tell?"

I immediately jumped up, holding up my hand, "I should like to start, if that's OK!"

Phew! I actually told a story in front of all these people who were gracious enough to  applaud  my effort.  Among the constructive comments I received that day was a piece of advice that acted like a spark on my consciousness.  I had introduced myself as a 'Wannabee storyteller' (possibly to protect my sensitivity)and

the advice I received from a seasoned storyteller was,

"Don't call yourself a 'Wannabee! YOU ARE a Storyteller!"

Since that day I have grown, and continue to grow, in  confidence.   It is very gratifying, in my middle years, to actually to be able, and brave enough, to follow a path I always knew was mine.

I continue to tell stories at the least provocation and opportunity and I am now launching into Public Speaking and am an active member of my local branch of Toastmasters International, with a group of wonderfully supportive people.   

Upcoming Posts

Talking Stick and other storyteller items

Introduction to Storytelling

Who doesn’t like a story?  Stories appeal to all ages and ethnic backgrounds.

The oral tradition of storytelling has been with us since our early cave dwelling days.

Oral storytelling is an entertaining art form increasingly prevalent even in our modern, technological age.  There is real human contact between the storyteller and the listener.  The storyteller shares in their every move, every expression, every tone of voice, the very essence of the story.  Audiences are drawn in, in an indivual way – is there an important lesson in this story; is there a warning; or is this story cause for amusement? Some stories are as old as time and are enjoyed over and over again.  Some are spanking new with interesting twists and turns.  Some stories quickly become our favourites.

In these pages we will learn about the various types of stories, eg. folktales, personal stories myths, and more. 

We will learn how to become storytellers ourselves:

• choosing stories appropriate to the target audience;
• the key points of the story;
• inflections of voice and more. 

The goal is to be able to choose, learn, and tell a story in your own words.