Writing Workshop: Conservation Through Storytelling with Illyria Volcansek - In Partnership with Eden Mills Writers' Festival

Join us, in partnership with the Eden Mills Writers' Festival, for an engaging and creative conservation writing workshop! While charismatic superstars like pandas and elephants may take centre stage in most conservation marketing campaigns, there are countless endangered species that stay in the shadows. From lichens to slugs, these "non-charismatic" species are understudied and underfunded, yet they remain ecologically essential. In this workshop, storytelling becomes a tool for the conservation of overlooked species. Participants will be guided through interactive writing prompts, engage in thoughtful discussion, and leave with a new appreciation for the underdogs of conservation. No writing experience is required! About the facilitator: Illyria Volcansek is an undergraduate student research assistant with Dr. Madhur Anand's Global Ecological Change & Sustainability Lab at the University of Guelph. Over the past year, she has been working on an extensive project that explores more-than-human charisma through short stories, research, and interactive fiction. Her essays and poetry have been published in the student journals Inventio and Kaleidoscope. Illyria is excited to start her graduate studies at the Global Campus of Human Rights this fall. Please reserve your spot online using Eden Mills Writers' Festival Workshops registration form. By participating in this program, you acknowledge and accept the Guelph Public Library's Code of Conduct. Alternative formats are available as per the Accessibility per Ontarians Act by contacting Library Communications at 519-824-6220. Accessible programs and events Sensory kits are available by request at all library programs. Please let us know a few days before a program if you need any accessibility accommodations so we can plan for you. For sign language interpreters we ask for a minimum of two weeks' notice. When registering for a program with a support person, please include them as an additional guest.