Nuala CaseyLike the river that flows through it, York’s past and present is fluid and changeable, evolving and adapting to the twists and turns of time.
From the sophisticated bureaucracy of the Romans to the raw aggression of the Vikings; from the rebels who faced up to Henry VIII to the royalists who sheltered Charles I, York has always been unpredictable in its loyalties and tastes.
Now, in 2011 York is fast taking on another identity, that of eco-city. Over the past few years, the city has witnessed a surge of businesses, initiatives, groups and individuals who are doing their bit to make a difference. From ethical clothing to organic food, protecting green spaces to creating eco-homes, York is teeming with people who can best be described as ‘Green Heroes’.
This month we talk to Catherine Heinemeyer, A.K.A. ‘Nettlefoot Kate’, who through her unique blend of storytelling and music is helping to educate people of all ages about the importance of sustainability and protecting the environment.
1. How did the idea of eco-storytelling come about?
I’ve been involved in environmental education for about ten years, working for the local authority as well as for community groups. I became frustrated with the ‘behaviour change’ approach - based on powerpoint presentations, stickers and dire warnings – which doesn’t seem to be achieving much. I had always loved oral storytelling, and when I went to performances by professional tellers so many of the tales related to themes of community, ecology, long-term thinking. I realised that stories are the way that indigenous cultures have always passed on knowledge about how to get along with nature and other people. Stories are simply the way people think and learn best. More than that: stories allow us to deal with tough and challenging issues – such as sustainability – in an un-threatening and open-minded way, engaging the emotions as well as reason.
2. What is the story behind the name ‘Nettlefoot Kate’?
You might have heard the story of the Thirteen Wild Swans (or wild ducks, in some cultures) in which a girl’s thirteen brothers are transformed into birds by a witch. She alone can rescue them by weaving them cloaks of nettles with her bare hands, treading the fibres with her bare feet. She may not speak or smile or wince from the pain until all the work is finished. It’s a long story with some gruesome stuff near the end, but I’ve always loved it because of the incredible endurance and faith of the young girl. I decided she was a good role model!
3. What response do you get to your work?
The response I seek, and sometimes manage to get, from children and adults alike, is complete absorption in the tale. Sometimes people’s mouths fall slightly open and their breathing slows down. They are following the whole story in their minds’ eye, and empathising with the characters. Afterwards they might want to discuss it or talk about what it reminds them of. Sometimes listeners’ responses can surprise me a lot; for example, at a mostly Muslim school in Keighley where I told a Kazakh folktale, the pupils were buzzing afterwards with the ethical questions it contained about how money should be distributed and spent – it almost came to a full-blown argument – whereas in another school the pupils had merely enjoyed it as a fairytale.
4. How can we keep the oral traditions alive in the age of instant messaging such as Twitter and Facebook?
A very good point. I would say that the more ‘multi-media’ our lives become, the more our attention is fragmented into a hundred places at once, the more we need the simple pleasure and challenge of following a story though to its end with our whole concentration, developing empathy and imagination. And I have found that people, including children and teenagers, still appreciate and seek out that kind of experience. It is a myth that children have no attention spans any more – we just tend to treat them as if they don’t. Young children especially don’t need IT, or even a great variety of books. Parents, grandparents, teachers should trust their own ability to tell a story from memory, or one they have made up. Or recite ‘Going on a Bear Hunt’ for the umpteenth time using teddies as puppets. Even if you aren’t the world’s best talker, your children will remember that story more than anything they’ve seen on TV. I still remember, in great detail, my dad’s crazy inventions about what happened in our local park.
5. What would you say to people who claim that Climate Change is a myth?
Some of my best friends are myths! But unfortunately climate change is a hard reality, to which we need to find creative responses. It is natural to resist something that challenges our whole worldview and says that the ways we have been living – all the old myths – are wrong. I would say that myths and stories also provide some of our most helpful tools in finding positive ways of changing the way we live. For example, the tale of how people coped with shortages in the Second World War – Digging for Victory, imaginative cookery and community spirit – is a fantastic story to remind people that good things can come out of scarcity.
6. What is the most important lifestyle change that people can make to help the environment?
Rather than jetting off restlessly around the world, get to know your own area and your own country and all the fantastic adventures it has to offer.
7. Who is your ‘green hero’?
Ellen MacArthur, the sailor. While on her voyages, she realised that her ‘life-support systems’ on board ship needed to be protected at all costs, and designed to last, and that it was the same on a grander scale for the whole planet. She describes how nature works in circles, wasting nothing, and human systems need to be modelled on the same lines. So she set up a foundation to promote this kind of thinking by businesses, schools and individuals. A great example of a ‘story’ inspiring action and real change.
