A 1-Day Nature Writing Workshop
Sunday, June 14, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Join MWPA, Trust for Public Land, & Mechanics' Hall for a writing workshop led by Emma Zimmerman at Canco Woods.
In Portland, Maine, peer through a row of apartment buildings, and you’ll spot the piercing blue of Casco Bay. Travel north from the city and watch suburban neighborhoods shoot off towards Mackworth Island, with its rocky beaches and solitude. Here, urban scenes coexist with natural beauty.
In this workshop, we’ll explore the interconnectedness between people and place — the urban and the “wild” — through writing. We’ll read passages from North Woods by Daniel Mason and other environmental works. Each reading will be followed by a 15-minute writing prompt related to themes of human-nature interaction (positive and negative). We’ll ask the following questions: how have writers used “wild” settings to understand humanity throughout time and place? How can “wild” settings help us better understand ourselves?
Any writers, thinkers, or nature enthusiasts are welcome at this workshop. No prior experience with environmental writing necessary.
Free to the public.
Emma Zimmerman is an award-winning writer and journalist, based in Maine. Her essays have appeared in publications that include Huffpost, No Tokens, and PRISM, and her journalism has appeared in Outside, Runner’s World, The Boston Globe, and the Maine Monitor. Her literary nonfiction has received various awards, including a “notable nonfiction” selection in the Best American Essays anthology, and fellowships from Lighthouse Writers Workshop and Phillips Exeter Academy. Emma has a BA from Grinnell College and an MFA in creative nonfiction writing from NYU. She teaches at Central Maine Community College and the Electric Cottage Collective (in Brunswick). Her debut book, Body Songs: A Memoir of Long Covid, Chronic Illness, and Unconventional Recovery, is forthcoming from Penguin in January 2027.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online via our website. We cannot guarantee registration in the final 24-hours before a workshop, and can rarely accommodate day-of registration.
PAYMENT & CANCELLATION POLICIES
If you need to withdraw from a class after registering for any reason, please email or call the MWPA immediately. You may be eligible for a partial refund or credit, depending on how far in advance you cancel. → MORE INFORMATION
QUESTIONS
For any questions regarding this workshop, please contact programs@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-200-7180 and register with your VISA or MasterCard.
REGISTER BY MAIL
If you prefer to pay by mail, please print this registration form (downloadable PDF) and mail it to the MWPA with a check or credit card information.
SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one partial scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Application Due two weeks prior to the workshop start date, at 9:00 a.m.
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MWPA WORKSHOP POLICIES
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. → MORE INFORMATION