One of Firefly’s treasured elders, Doug Elliott, brings his story and song year after year to the Firefly Gathering. This year, he will be joining Firefly Gathering both as an instructor at the Annual Gathering, and in his Perennial Workshop: Woodslore, Weeds, and Wildwoods Wisdom Walk. A naturalist, herbalist, storyteller, basket maker, back-country guide, philosopher, and harmonica wizard, we continue to be captivated by his many methods of connecting us to the plants, animals and humans around us.
In this most recent episode of the Ground Shots Podcast, Doug and Firefly’s own Kelly Moody sit down in his home to reflect on life close to the land, reasons for telling stories, and his curiosity about nature through the years. Blending interview with clips of past performances, this personal and detailed look into Doug Elliott’s life and exploration of his storytelling is not to be missed!
You can also find this episode on Stitcher / Tunein / Apple podcasts / player.fm / google play
Doug Elliott is a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival, and has lectured and performed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and conducted workshops for the Smithsonian Institution. The ranger training sessions for the National Park Service and guided wilderness experiences he’s led have taken him from down-east Maine to the Florida Everglades.
Named harmonica champion at Fiddler’s Grove Festival in Union Grove, N.C, Doug’s creative talents have also led to the writing of five books, many articles in regional and national magazines, and a number of award winning albums of stories and songs you may have seen on PBS-TV and the History and National Geographic Channels.
In recent years, Dough has received a variety of honors. The National Storytelling Network (the largest storytelling membership organization in the world) inducted him into their Circle of Excellence for “exceptional commitment and exemplary contribution to the art of storytelling.” The International Herb Association presented him with the Otto Richter Award honoring his work with herbs and useful wild plants. The National Association for Interpretation (the professional organization of park rangers, naturalists, museum curators, etc.) gave him the Master Front Line Interpreter Award for his “mastery of interpretive techniques, program development, and design of creative projects” celebrating the natural world and our human connection to nature.
Doug Elliot is one of the people who make Firefly what it is, and we treasure the depth and range of skill he brings to this community.
Check out Doug’s Website, and download more of Doug’s music and stories from Bandcamp.
