News

 Projects,  Publications, Workshops & Training Certifications

2023

Fall 2022 and Spring 2023  4 – week virtual workshop. Life Writing: Finding Your Stories.” 

Our Spring 2023 virtual  “Life Writing: Finding Your Stories”  workshop ended March 1, I What I always discover after leading sessions in Spring and Fall 2022, and Spring 2023 is “the shortest distance between 2 people is a story.“Students expressed gratitude for holding the space to help them get started writing stories, still sitting in their heads. They shared stories of seeking out lost family members, recapturing Grandmother’s stories, travels around the world, exotic family pets and much more.  We discussed where stories come from? We learned how to identify and write stories beginning with mind-mapping techniques and memory prompts; shared ideas and questions about editing “the story voice; ” and brought in meaningful objects and photos to inspire even more stories.

2022 

Writing & Editing

Sierra State Parks Foundation, parks, Lake Tahoe, Sierra Nevada

 

Sierra State Parks Foundation 2021 Annual Report. Support partner for Lake Tahoe, Truckee and Donor Summit State Parks and recreation areas. Created entirely on Canva. Link here to read full report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

University of California Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education Program (SAREP) released their new strategic plan in July. As a contract writer, I selected nearly 70 photographs and banner headings for the design team to use.  Link here for full report.

Other writing projects included creating new web pages and pasting text for SAREP Cover Crops website.

 

 

Workshop Leader

Presenting two 1-hour workshops  (in person) workshop at the California Trails and Greenways Conference in Modesto Wednesday, April 27 and Thursday, April 28, 2022. My session, “Walking the Alphabet Trail and other Ways to Engage Families.” Will be presenting three activities to increase observational skills while having fun doing some Nature Detectives work at same time. Visit the conference website for more information and stay updated as more becomes available. https://lnkd.in/grtKSPSW

 

 

Our 4-week in person Life Writing: Finding Your Stories workshop began at Sun City Lincoln Hills Retirement Community on Monday, March 7, 2022. First session introduced Where to Find Ideas, Mind Mapping Techniques to brainstorm ideas and easily organize details.  Participants reviewed books featuring questions as “story starters.”  Other topics include “meaningful objects,”  character development, kitchen, travel and home stories. We added “firsts” such as first car, home, friends, and more)

Completed Training

 

Eight-week online Interpretive Writing Class.  Presented by Heritage Interpretation Training Center. Course completed February 26, 2022. Assignments included basics principles & practices; creating a comprehensive outline including content, timetable and sources needed; Interpretive trail guide; writing panels with feeling & imagination, museum and trail interpretive panel texts; and creating text to meet management objectives at a site.

 

2021

Training Guides & Workshop Leader

Nature Detectives Leader Discovery Guides

The series of five Nature Detectives Discovery Guides present a complete list of activities and supplies arranged in seasonal themes.  Each guide presents tips on how to work with young children when introducing them to outdoor experiences at school, in their neighborhood or nature-based site.

Workshop leader, National Storytelling Network, EarthUp Conference, April, 2021 Nature in Motion: Capturing Sense of Place in a Journal.” Learn how to capture sense of place in a Nature Journal – with outside activities and breakout room discussions.

2020

New Books, Collaboration & Media Interviews

Live Interviews: Beth Ruyak, Capital Public Radio (Feb 2020) and Good Day Sacramento, Cody Stark (March 2020).  Janice describes her experiences that inspired Mornings on Fair Oaks Bridge blogs and book.

Community Works Institute Online Journal  feature story Summer 2020 – Emerging Opportunities in Nature Education

Contributor, Green Schoolyards National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative, Summer and Fall 2020. Features online publications and resources for learning outside.  Visit Greenschoolyards.org to view resources

Inspired by John Muir, A Guide to Studying Nature, Capturing our Stories and Advocating for Wild Places 

 

 

 

What Song does the Rain Sing? A Creative Writing Journal for kids. Visit Nature Detectives website to learn more.

 

 

Mornings of Fair Oaks Bridge podcasts. This new series of 15 podcasts features selections from the beginning of the book to its final entry.

2019

Interpretive Media & more

El Malpais NCA Ranger Station Interpretive Panels: Write text for a series of panels describing natural and cultural history of this monument to the Native American people of New Mexico.

Executive Summary, Land Trust of Santa Barbara Strategic Plan. Highlights and photos of the new 2020-2025 Strategic plan

Guest Blogger

Guest blogger, “Beauty for All” website.

Published in August 2019, this blog highlights the scenic beauty and history of the Lower American River flowing through the suburban areas of Sacramento.

2018

New Book & Interpretive Media

Mornings on Fair Oaks Bridge; Watching Wildlife at the Lower American River

Blogs assembled into new book featuring 75 blog posts, more than 100 full color photographs, history of Fair Oaks, Fair Oaks Bluffs, Fair Oaks Bridge and American River Parkway as background for this iconic crossing of the American River. Visit Facebook page for dates of readings and other activities.

North Country National Scenic Trail: From East to West, the Peoples and the Stories.  

North Country Trail, map, projects, NPS, National Park ServiceNarrative text for primary website ~ Write nine brief narratives to describe each region. The trail crosses seven states and 4,600 miles. Summarize history of diverse population settlements, birth and development of major industries, recreation opportunities, and key individuals who made significant contributions to the region.  Collaboration with prime contractor who developed the Interpretive Master Plan for National Park Service.

Media Profile

Inside Sacramento Neighbor Profile

Nature Detectives, feature article, Janice Kelley, nature, outdoors, writingNeighbor profile published in Inside Sacramento. Highlights Janice’s launch of Nature Detectives outdoor exploration program in schools and neighborhoods.

Completed Training

 Aldo Leopold Education Project Facilitator Training.

Janice received a scholarship from Region 9 (Western Region) to attend her first National Association of Interpretation (NAI) Annual Conference in 2006. She completed the Facilitator Training as a pre-conference  event.