Stephanie Kyriazis (left) and Antoine Fletcher
On Thursday, February 4, Sierra Club of Western North Carolina (WENOCA) will host a virtual presentation by Stephanie Kyriazis, deputy chief of resource education for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Kyriazis will share her experience with the Smokies Hikes for Healing initiative, a project launched by superintendent Cassius Cash as a venue for folks “to tap into the restorative power of nature and the healing power of conversation to nurture their resilience and agency to build an anti-racist society,” says Kyriazis. “For me, helping to host and facilitate these hikes has been both a humbling learning experience and a way to renew my faith in humanity. It has also reinforced my belief in the ways nature cultivates and supports human well-being.”
Kyriazis will be joined by Antoine Fletcher, science communicator for the park and lead for the African American Experience project. Fletcher will speak about the origin and ongoing cultivation of this project, which seeks to uncover, illuminate and share Black experiences in and around the Smokies across time. “Both programs highlight the Smokies as a place for discovery, dialogue and healing,” says Kyriazis.
The program begins at 7 pm. For more information, visit SierraClub.org/north-carolina/wenoca. For more information about Smokies Hikes for Healing, visit SmokiesHikesForHealing.org.
