Storywalks
Welcome
This land holds many stories.
Stories of stewardship and abundance, stories of genocide and dispossession, stories of suppression and resurgence.
The Yolo bioregion has seen massive transformation over the last two hundred years, turning the gifts of an intricately dense wetland ecosystem into the controlled riches of an industrial culture.
We have disabled the aquifers that nourish us. We have impoverished the soils that nurture us.
But the land has a long memory. It knows how to heal itself.
Can you hear it whisper?
What is a Storywalk?
A storywalk is an audio tour that invites you to listen to stories of the pasts, presents, and latent futures of the Yolo bioregion, as you walk the landscape. It is an invitation to immerse yourself in the rich sensorium (sights, sounds, smells, sensations) that this land has to offer. It is a reminder that our bodies are connected to the earth, and the first step in restorying this bioregion is reconnecting with its creeks and marshes.
Please choose from one of the storywalks listed below. We will be adding new storywalks to this page over time.
Our First Storywalk - Launches Nov 15, 2024
Capay Open Space Park
This storywalk is an audio tour (3 segments, 15mins each) of the Capay Open Space Park at the southern entrance of the Capay Valley, which introduces us to the site from a Wintun restoration ecology perspective. Participants are invited to walk the trails while listening to stories from Diana Almendariz (Wintun/Maidu culture-bearer) and Dillon McKay (educator, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation).
They introduce us to the creek, its importance for the Wintun people, and the destructive legacies of colonialism and industrialization that have undone this important natural-cultural relationship.
The storywalk also shines a light on the vital work of Wintun elder Bertha Mitchell, and on the importance of oaks, grey pines, elderberry, and black walnut, for both the human and animal inhabitants of the Yolo bioregion.
Instructions:
Listen to the introductory segment below before you visit the Capay Open Space. When you arrive there, click on the Capay Storywalk link below and follow instructions to complete the storywalk.
You can get to the Capay Open Space Park by car (15603 County Road 85, Capay, CA 95627) or by bus (Yolobus stop: HWY16 at Road 85 on EB215 or WB215).
You can print the map/activity guide (included here as a PDF), or access it through your phone on the storywalk page. It will help orient you to the space, and provide an offering of post-listening activities for you to engage in.
Diana Introduces the Creek: Audio #1
Credits
In remembrance of Bertha Mitchell, Mabel McKay, and Marshall McKay.
Featured Culture-bearers: Diana Almendariz and Dillon McKay
Storywalk Producer: Anuj Vaidya
Storywalk Co-Producer: Juliette Beck
Spanish Producer: Adelita Serena
Storywalk Website: David Abramson
Storywalk Featured Art: Ooti Maxine
Storywalk Video: Adelita Serena
Original Music: Ameen Lofti
Storywalk Map: Ooti Maxine, Diana Almendariz, Anuj Vaidya
Storywalk Photo: NJ Mvondo
Storywalk Experience Design: YoloSol Collective
Storywalk Trainees: Ooti Maxine, Gladys Padilla
Appreciations
A special thanks to: Dillon McKay, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation; Christina Almendariz and Family; Allison Cagley; Environment and Climate Justice Scholars Cohort – The Hub UC Davis; Richard Falcon; Alison Flory; Marlen Garcia; Shelly Gilbride; Pam Gonzales; Cata Gomez; Mary Jimenez; Stephanie Maroney; Deniss Martinez; Beth Rose Middleton; Araceli Moreno; NJ Mvondo; Jessica Perea; Txarlotzi Saenz; Michelle Stephens; Zara Zimbardo
Fiscal Sponsor
Funders
Environmental and Climate Justice Hub
