StoryCorps Submission Form is Open Through February 15

by Jonah Holland, PR & Marketing Coordinator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

The StoryCorps recording studio. Photo by Rob Lowell

Last week we told you about how excited we are to have StoryCorps come to the Garden in March to record our oral history.  But to truly tell the Garden’s story, we need your story.  The link is now open on our website and  for you to submit your story. If you are interested in telling how Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has affected your life,  we hope you’ll take the time to submit 500 words or less how the Garden has impacted your life.  But do it soon, the deadline is February 15th.  If your story is chosen, it will be archived in the Library of Congress and may even air on NPR.

Beth Monroe, the Garden’s Director of PR & Marketing, shares her story as a sample submission, to give you an idea of what we are looking for:

I have the honor of working at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden,so the impact this special place has had on my life is significant. However, one of my most profound experiences was as a parent chaperone on my daughter’s kindergarten field trip to the Garden. The children planted seeds, tasted herbs and then – a toad hopped across the pathway! Their teacher gently scooped the creature up and held it for all to see. The children crowded around, eyes shining with excitement, as the teacher talked about the toad and its dependence on a healthy environment for survival. The children listened intently. I realized I was witnessing the Garden’s mission in action — providing opportunities to learn more about and to care for the natural world. It’s the magic that happens at the Garden every day. Experiencing it first-hand is something I’ll always remember. — Beth Monroe, Henrico, VA. (would like to interview Kelly Riley, Children’s Education Coordinator)