With the dire reality of climate change and the degradation of the world’s biodiversity, it is vital that we create space for artistic and humanistic insights to address our ecological crisis. To ethically and effectively respond to this crisis we must understand the structural, historical, and political forces that have led us to this breaking point, while also crafting spaces and coalitions for mutual aid and transformative action. We need the expertise of environmentally-minded humanists and artists to make sense of, represent, and respond holistically to our fractured relationship with each other and the natural world. Environmental storytellers help us understand our past anthropocentric failings while also pointing us toward reparations and possible futures.

Series Overview

The annual Environmental Storytelling Series (ESS) of Central New York foregrounds artistic expression and humanistic interpretation in pursuit of mutual understanding and collective action around ecological crisis. Through the series, interconnected performances, presentations, workshops, programs and courses are oriented toward three overarching goals: 1.) to demonstrate how environmental issues are always intertwined with social, economic, and cultural issues 2.) to show how storytelling across media can help us pursue environmental justice in ways that facts and figures alone cannot; and 3.) to use storytelling as a way to encourage interaction and collective action across communities in Syracuse and CNY. Visit our Guides for materials created for and generated in response to events in the series.

The series draws Syracuse and Central New York K-12 students and residents into the collective project through interconnected arts, humanities, community inquiry, and STEM programs. Collaborating community-based organizations include: ESF in the High School; La Casita Cultural Center; North Side Learning Center; Syracuse City Parks and Recreation; Syracuse Museum of Science and Technology (MOST); and YWCA of Onondaga County; Canary Project; Onondaga Environmental Institute; Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance; Brady Farm; Salt City Harvest Farm