Gathering Our Voice
About the Gathering Our Voice collection
The oral history recordings collected through the Gathering Our Voice program started with regional partners in 2005. The collection contains over 300 interviews that highlight stewardship practices at local, regional, and statewide levels that have contributed to healthy and sustainable communities. These recordings explore stories about maintaining diverse, healthy ecosystems, fostering a high quality of life for all, and bridging cultural and political divides. Interviews are cataloged according to these categories:
- Agriculture
- Planning & development
- Fire management
- Food systems
- Forestry and logging
- Land stewardship
- Natural environment
- Recreation
- Business
- Health care
- Education
- Organizational development
- Leadership
- Local government
- Arts and culture
- Family history
- Community collaboration
- Social networks
- Community character and history
Transcripts are included for most interviews, many of which have been featured in these projects:
- Gathering Our Voice KOHO Radio series
- Homegrown Ski Areas of NCW video
- Sustaining Success: Stewardship Stories from NCW video
- Foodways & Byways: The Story of Food in NCW video
- Foodways & Byways: The Story of Food in NCW photo drive
- Gathering Our Voice columns in The Wenatchee World and Empire Press newspapers
- A Great Place to Come Home To, student project
- Waterville Local History Class
- Listening Post Network, a mobile application storytelling program about places in North Central Washington
Many of the Gathering Our Voice oral histories also link to content in the Success Story Exchange, an annual story gathering and sharing process IRIS facilitates as part of the annual NCW Community Success Summit.