Margaret Gibson Mesmerizes with Her “Words in the Woods”
by Elanah Sherman, Avalonia Board Secretary and Chair of Education and Outreach and Nominating Committees
The Last Green Valley’s Walktober season of events, now in its 36th year, began on September 19 and runs through November 8. Hundreds of programs, from walks to lectures to demonstrations, will take place in eastern Connecticut. Among these will be four events sponsored by Avalonia.
Avalonia began the Walktober season with “Words in the Woods,” a poetry reading by Margaret Gibson on September 19 at the Bulkeley Hill Preserve Outdoor Classroom in Colchester. Avalonia’s Colchester Chapter provided invaluable assistance in organizing this event.
Margaret, a resident of Preston, is a nationally known, deeply esteemed, and highly honored poet whose themes often encompass and respond to what she calls “the living world.” She has published numerous books of poetry and essays, including an anthology of poetic responses to climate change.
A priestess of words, Margaret held her audience with poems both serene and mobilizing, contemplative and defiant. At one point, as she referenced the song of birds, a symphony of sound emerged from a nearby tree. Margaret is, maybe, just a little bit witchy!
In an interview on her website, Margaret says “certainty invites questions.” On September 19, we had the privilege of joining her on her quest.
The full Walktober 2026 calendar: https://thelastgreenvalley.org/walktober-2/
All photos, except for the one from the rear, by Liza Sivek
