Wildbranch Testimonials
What Some Participants
Have Said About Wildbranch...
" Of greatest value to me was the easy accessibility of the staff,
available at all times and cordial, open to all questions and
ideas."
"
...the workshop surpassed my wildest dreams. I wrote and wrote
and wrote, not until I could write no more, but until I couldn't
keep myself from it...I'm one year shy of fifty and can say that
this workshop was one of the five most significant experiences
of my life. It was recreative, energizing, and it gave me a sense
of confidence I'd not felt before."
"
It quite literally propels one into a high-energy, completely
absorbing, week-long effort in exploring the relations of nature
and language, an experience that is at once exciting and deeply
rewarding."
"
The classes were terrific. I've been inspired ever since."
"
Extremely well-organized."
"
The format admirably accommodated writers of different degrees
of experience and enabled us to learn from each other as well
as from the excellent faculty."
"
I have been to writing workshops in the past and have found them
to be useful, but not inspiring. Often, the name writers who
show up to conduct the workshops are basically on vacation, and
real nose-to-the-grindstone, one-on-one work with them is hard
to come by. It is almost as if they assume that the opportunity
to be close to them is enough to satisfy the gathered aspirants.
Not so the Wildbranch Workshop. At Wildbranch, the faculty were
there with their sleeves rolled up. I don't think a person who
attended came away with the feeling that they didn't get enough
attention, constructive criticism or encouragement. The faculty
are all living testimonials that outdoor and nature writing does
not have to be dull, impersonal, sensational or illiterate. And
they did a good job of pounding that notion into those gathered
at Sterling College."
"
The director and the rest of the folks at Sterling did a masterful
job of orchestrating the whole thing in a way that put people
at ease from the outset. And of course the setting they have
to work with is very conducive to focusing in on writing without
distractions. I got a month's worth of writing done in a week."
"
More effective communication in the areas of environmental concern,
general natural history and outdoor sporting activities is essential
if we hope to continue to enjoy the quality of life we now cling
to. Better writing about it is one way to achieve that. And in
some small way, this workshop furthered that aim."
"
In addition to a dynamic and talented faculty, I found the other
participants to be warm and supportive. I was able to take many
risks with my writing because of the environment. I wrote a lot,
and my writing got better. It is a rare climate indeed."
"
...I had no idea how intensive the week would be. It was like
a writing high for me, attending all of the classes and presentations,
talking late into the night, working on assignments at dawn and
during every available minute during the day. I hadn't felt as
focused for that length of time since final exam week in college."
"
Not long after I left Wildbranch, I took on the job of starting
up a new general-interest magazine with a national editorial
scope. Working as an editor for five years prior, most of my
contacts had been with New England writers. Wildbranch introduced
me to some fine writers from other regions, and I have since
used a few of them not only to write for the new magazine but
also to put me in touch with other local writers as well. Making
those kinds of connections at Wildbranch was extremely valuable."
"
I highly recommend the Wildbranch Workshop for outdoorspeople
who are committed to writing as communication and as a way of
life. As a free-lance writer who works mostly in isolation, I
found that being around other writers and outdoorspeople was
exhilarating. I left the workshop exhausted, but with a long
list of books to read, projects to work on, contacts to pursue,
and a surer sense of my own worth as a writer."
"
There is a special, wonderful energy at Sterling and at Wildbranch.
Wildbranch symbolizes for me an integration of head and heart,
of the power of the mind and of a place. You have managed to
create an atmosphere that fosters both comfort and risk. I have
grown tremendously at and as a result of attending Wildbranch."
"
I leave Wildbranch with none but happy thoughts. I am revitalized
and optimistic as a writer, and well recompensed as an investor."
"
Wildbranch was a wonderful week, one I come to appreciate more
and more as time passes. It did something for me that I hadn't
been able to name before--it slid my goals a lot closer to me
and made them seem very real, imminently possible. It prodded
me to get committed to the important work of my life. I have
been burning since Wildbranch with such a passion for writing
that I turn down invitations, refuse to go out, stay up late,
get up early, and still feel like I don't have enough time."
(Wildbranch)..."has been the most important week in my writing
life."
Participants have attended Wildbranch from the
following agencies and organizations:
American Wildlands
-
Atlantic Salmon Federation
-
Appalachian Mountain Club
-
Burlington Free Press
-
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
-
Chesapeake Bay Program
-
Cornell Cooperative Extension
-
The Des Moines Register
-
Ducks Unlimited
-
Florida Audubon Society
-
Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
-
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
-
Georgia Wildlife Federation
-
Guam Department of Aquatic & Wildlife Resources
-
Indiana Division of Fish & Wildlife
-
Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, LSU
-
Manomet Bird Observatory
-
Mark Trail / Ed Dodd Foundation
-
Massachusetts Audubon Society
-
Missouri Conservation Department
-
Montana Outdoors
-
Monterey Bay Aquarium
-
Mystic Marinelife Aquarium
-
Natural Resources Canada
-
The Nature Conservancy
-
New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection
-
New York Aquarium
-
North Maine Woods
-
Office of Technology Assessment, US Congress
-
Penn State Forest Stewardship Program
-
Pheasants Forever
-
Racine Journal Times
-
Roanoke Times & World News
-
Scott Paper Company
-
Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests
-
Soil Conservation Service, USDA
-
South Dakota Dept. of Game, Fish & Parks
-
Tennessee Wildlife Resources
-
The Trustees of Reservations (Massachusetts)
-
U.S. Department of Agriculture
-
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
-
U.S. Forest Service
-
U.S. National Park Service
-
Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife
-
Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing
-
Vermont Land Trust
-
Virginia Division of State Parks
-
Virgin Islands National Park
-
The Wilderness Society
-
Yankee Publishing
Inclusion on this list does not
imply any endorsement by the agency or organization.
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