Inspiring Appreciation for Our Heritage and Environment

The Story Walker ^®, Kathleen Gill, first heard stories from both sides of her Irish family . . . tales of The Great Hunger, coffin ships, the mills, and the family farm in northern New York. She researched these histories and crafted stories about those times and about her childhood experiences in Schenectady, NY during the Fifties. One such story was selected by a Schenectady Gazette contest for inclusion in a turn of the century time capsule.

The Story Walker ^® learned other ethnic stories while teaching reading on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and at migrant camps in New York and Colorado.

The Story Walker ^® is an avid hiker, both on and off the trail, and continues to collect stories from the people she meets on her travels. Upon completion of the Appalachian Trail, she has published her journey in a book, Storywalking The Appalachian Trail. This book is unique as it features oral histories by witnesses to the trail's birth as well as folklore and folkstories encountered along the Appalachian Trail.

The Story Walker ^® is a certified teacher and social worker who has more than twenty years' experience working with both children and adults in schools and summer programs. She now offers workshops for adults and children.

The Story Walker ^® has told stories in local museums and libraries and at special events and festivals. She has presented at Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, NY, Story Sunday at the Glen Sanders Mansion, and Tellabration 2003. She has conducted workshops and presented stories at Adirondack Women II, III, and IV. The Story Walker ^® has researched, written, and published several short stories. She has also published two books and recorded a storytelling tape and two CDs.

The Story Walker ^® is affiliated with the Story Circle of the Capital District, the National Storytelling Network, and the Black Crow Network.

Listen to The Story Walker ^®

• Listen to part of the story "Why God Made Wool" from the book Story Walking the Appalachian Trail (a 155 KB mp3 file)

• Listen to part of the story "The Jackspinners' Strike" from the CD A Jackspinner's Strike: The Childhood Lives of Two Adirondack Women Farmers (a 145 KB mp3 file)

• Listen to part of the story "My Mutt Yodeler" from the book Maggie Millhand and Farmer (a 143 KB mp3 file)