Saturday Legacy Stories from Solace Grove #10A
Where Mountains Meet Community, and Every Story Matters
From Desk of Chen Hicent and Eastern Rockies Nature Writing Group
As my contribution to the network:
I've created a practical research guide with help from the Eastern Rockies Nature Writing Group. The article provides concrete search strategies for fining a nature writing group.
The guide offers multiple pathways for finding nature writing communities—from basic internet searches to social media exploration to creating new groups when none exist. The simple illustration section uses nature emojis to make the key search categories easy to remember and reference.
Finding the right writing community, like forest walking itself, requires patience and may take time to develop—reinforcing the themes of allowing natural processes to unfold at their own pace.
Finding Your Forest Voice: A Research Guide to Local Nature Writing Groups
A resource compiled by members of the fictional Eastern Rockies Nature Writing Group
Your journey into forest writing begins with finding your tribe—those who understand that a well-placed comma can capture the pause between raindrops, and that the perfect metaphor might emerge from watching light filter through autumn leaves. Local nature writing groups offer the community Chen describes in his forest philosophy, creating spaces where your woodland observations transform into shared wisdom.
Start Your Search with Simple Terms
Begin your internet exploration with combinations like "nature writing group [your city]" or "outdoor poetry circle [your region]." Many groups hide in plain sight under names like "Environmental Writers," "Seasonal Storytellers," or "Wilderness Poets." Libraries, community centers, and local bookstores often host these gatherings, so include these venues in your search terms.
Cast a Wider Net
Search for "hiking clubs with writing focus," "forest therapy groups," or "mindfulness writing circles." Nature writing communities often overlap with outdoor recreation groups, environmental organizations, and wellness centers. The Sierra Club, Audubon Society, and local park services frequently sponsor writing workshops that evolve into ongoing groups.
Discover Through Connection
Check social media platforms using hashtags like #naturepoetrynearme, #outdoorwriting, or #forestwriting. Facebook groups often organize local meetups, while Instagram poets share location tags that reveal writing communities. Poetry slams, environmental fairs, and farmers markets provide unexpected opportunities to meet fellow nature writers.
Create What You Cannot Find
If your search yields no results, consider starting a group. Post notices at coffee shops, libraries, and trailheads. Contact local environmental groups about hosting a monthly nature writing circle. Sometimes the forest calls us to become the very community we seek.
Simple Illustration Guide
🌲 Library Search: "nature writing + [your city]"
🍃 Social Media: #forestwriting #naturepoetrynearme
🌿 Organizations: Sierra Club, Audubon, local parks
🌾 Venues: Bookstores, community centers, coffee shops
🌱 Create: Post notices, contact environmental groups
The forest teaches patience—your perfect writing community may take seasons to discover, yet like Chen's recovery journey, the search itself becomes part of the healing story.
AND/OR
Creating Your Own Group
If no local nature writing community exists, consider starting one. Libraries, community centers, and parks departments often provide meeting spaces for new groups. Begin with a simple format: monthly meetings combining short woodland walks with writing exercises and sharing time.
Simple Starting Structure:
- 30 minutes: Nature walk or sit-spot observation
- 30 minutes: Individual writing time
- 30 minutes: Voluntary sharing and discussion
Remember that many meaningful writing communities start with just two or three committed participants who share a love of nature and words.
NOTE: Use your general search browser technique to locate the groups
SAMPLE of Actual Writing Groups and/or Writing Programs
USA - Northwestern
Northern Rockies Nature Journaling (Montana-based)
Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers and Photographers, Inc. (formed in 1973)
Eastern Oregon University's nature writing programs and conferences
Southern Rockies Nature Blog
British Columbia
General Writing Groups with Nature Focus:
Comox Valley Writers Society - Supports writers in development of their craft, with general meetings monthly and small writing critique groups in Courtenay, BC
Heart & Mind Writing Group - Writers of all levels and genres in Sicamous, B.C.
North Shore Writers' Association (NSWA) - A registered non-profit organization in North Vancouver dedicated to nourishing the literary community
Specific Regional Groups:
BC Interior Writers' Groups - Multiple groups throughout the BC Interior including
Interior Authors Group - Meets 2nd Wednesday monthly in North Kamloops
Kelowna Writers' Group - First Tuesday monthly at Kelowna Library
WriteOn! Kelowna - Monthly meetings for aspiring and published writers
Lake Country Writers' Group - Every other Tuesday at Lake Country Library
South Okanagan Scribes (SOS) - Open group for teens and up
Nature-Focused Organizations:
Federation of BC Writers (FBCW)
British Columbia Association of Travel Writers - For B.C. travel journalists and writers
Alberta
General Writing Organizations:
Alexandra Writers' Centre Society - Community of emerging writers of all ages in Calgary
Writers' Guild of Alberta - Provincial arts service organization representing professional and emerging writers
Edmonton Writers' Group - Informal group of aspiring and published writers
Imaginative Fiction Writers Association - Calgary-based group offering critique and marketing advice
Parkland Poets - Community of poets in Stony Plain, Alberta
Strathcona County Writers - Writers of all levels and genres
Nature and Environmental Organizations:
Nature Alberta - Non-profit organization with over 45 nature clubs across the province, including programs like Nature Kids
Nature Calgary - Community organization promoting preservation of natural habitats with educational opportunities
Edmonton Nature Club - Develops awareness and encourages interest in natural environment through meetings, talks, workshops, and field trips
Do you have names to add? Use the Comment section at the end of this post!
From Desk of Chen Hicent
Here is a handout I created for a 3-hour workshop I offered through the Solace Grove Community Centre Awareness from Forests Program
Handout:
Write about nature, especially trees and forests, here are 10 considerations to keep in mind:
When writing about nature via trees and forests, “Research their ecological significance. Gain knowledge about different tree species, their characteristics, and the role of forests in the ecosystem. Add sketches and doodles. Include tree portraits and forest landscapes.”
Observation and Experience: Spend time observing trees and forests firsthand. Take nature walks, visit parks, or immerse yourself in natural environments. Pay attention to the sights, sounds, and smells, and draw inspiration from your personal experiences with trees and forests.
Symbolism and Metaphors: Explore the symbolic and metaphorical meanings associated with trees and forests. Consider how they represent growth, strength, resilience, and interconnectedness. Incorporate these elements into your writing to evoke emotions and create deeper connections with your readers.
Descriptive Language: Use vivid and sensory language to paint a vivid picture of trees and forests. Describe the textures, colors, scents, and sounds to immerse your readers in the natural beauty of these environments. Engage all the senses to bring the reader into the heart of the forest.
Environmental Awareness: Highlight the importance of trees and forests for the environment. Discuss their role in carbon sequestration, biodiversity preservation, and the provision of oxygen. Educate your readers about the environmental benefits of trees and the need for their conservation.
Personal Connection: Share personal stories or reflections about your own experiences with trees and forests. Connect your writing to your emotions, memories, or significant moments spent in nature. This adds a personal touch and authenticity to your work.
Ecological Interactions: Explore the interconnectedness of trees and forests with other living organisms. Discuss the relationships between trees and wildlife, the mutual dependencies, and the delicate balance of ecosystems. Highlight the intricate web of life within forests.
Historical and Cultural Significance: Research the historical and cultural significance of trees and forests in different societies and cultures. Explore how they have been revered, celebrated, and integrated into folklore, mythology, and traditional practices. Incorporate these cultural dimensions into your writing to enrich your storytelling.
Environmental Challenges: Address the environmental challenges that trees and forests face, such as deforestation, habitat loss, and climate shift. Discuss the impacts of these issues on the ecosystem, wildlife, and communities. Raise awareness and inspire action towards conservation efforts.
Call to Action: Encourage readers to appreciate and protect trees and forests. Provide suggestions for ways they can contribute, such as supporting reforestation initiatives, reducing their carbon footprint, or getting involved in local conservation projects. Empower your readers to become advocates for nature.
Two Touches
The Mystery, The History of Nature
The truth of nature informing being
Path walkway
Downhill on a dirt path
Scree that has you slide a little
The last bit
Almost sandlike
Stepping sideways down
The old road
Gate across
Opened for plowing
Access to the road
To a house
Tucked in the south slope
Along this road
Balsam Poplar evident
Mixed with Alder
Old fence posts
Hold the barb wire
Of yesteryear, of cattle roaming
Some of those posts
Are old by their form
Others placed recently
Cross a bridge
Once set on fire
Now sections replaced
A deer crosses the road
A reminder of the forest
To the right, food, cover
To the start point
Step into where the wire
Lays on the ground
Before crossing it
A welcome ceremony
In celebration of all present
Two touch ceremony
Asking for insights about
Two ends of the stick
What can I learn,
Remember, suggest, conceive
For later as I write
Turning right, heading west
The dirt path, well trod
Calls me to move
The walking ceremony
No Walking on the Tree Roots
Is awaken, I begin
Slight ups, downs, twists, turns
With a spongy feeling in places
Soaking up the rain for later
Walking in quiet, birds in the canopy,
Sharing stories among themselves
Preparing for a day of foraging
Trees of old growth dot the woodlands
Along the path, anchoring the slope,
Majestic White Spruce
Patches of Alder on the lower slope
Nearer the water, the damned area
The creek running through
Transition from evergreen
To meadows created by settlers
Filling with Trembling Aspen
Wavering in the slight wind
A family for sure, some marching
Down the slope to the even meadow
Another deer crosses the path
Now running up the slope from deciduous
To the coniferous above, so fast
The creek moves closer
The sound evident now
Because of branches fallen in
Other places where rocks appear
The raptors creating their sound
Adding to the forest symphony
A woodpecker in the distance
Making it known food is near
And determination finds the prize
The path flattens to an old road
A way in to the places persons created
Presence with drums and bolted wood
Across the path fallen trees
Stacked on rocks, evidence
This path has ended, not the knowing
Hi Chen – TU for including my poem ))smiles