WOODLAND, Calif. — The Yolo County Library is joining in a statewide effort, sponsored by the California State Library and the non-profit organization StoryCenter, to memorialize the experiences of Californians affected by the recent mega wildfires across the state. Community members are invited to share their stories on Saturday, September 29, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Esparto Regional Library, located at 17065 Yolo Ave, in Esparto, CA.
Individuals interested in sharing their experience, may register online at www.storycenter.org/yolo-wildfire-stories where they can sign up on their own or in pairs for a 30-minute recording session. Participants need not talk directly about a specific loss or experience, but simply discuss broadly how these events are affecting their lives. StoryCenter will provide the questions that may be asked and will be onsite the day of the event to record participant stories. The collected stories will be housed as part of the California Listens archive at www.archive.org, with excerpts shared through the StoryCenter website and the Yolo County Library website.
The Yolo County community has been greatly affected over the years by wildfires, most recently with the Winters fire in 2017 and the 2018 County/Guinda fire. This statewide effort is an opportunity to talk and reflect about these experiences and to have these fresh recollections preserved for historical purposes. The Yolo County Library and StoryCenter will invite local health officials to support participants onsite.
“So many stories of courage, resiliency, loss, recovery, and incredible acts of kindness and solidarity have been written across Yolo County over these years. We hope to hear from community residents as well as any of the responders and professionals that engaged with the fires and post-fire recovery efforts,” said Yolo County Librarian Mark Fink. “Sharing and reflecting on these experiences can help assist with psychological and emotional recovery and inform future planning and preparedness efforts.”
All programs are free to attend and the Esparto Regional Library is accessible for persons with disabilities. For more information regarding this event, contact Malinda Baker at: (530) 787-3426 or malinda.baker@yolocounty.org. For more information about the Yolo County Library visit: www.yolocountylibrary.org or connect with the Library on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/yolocountylibrary.org.
–Yolo County, California
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