On July 18th the World Forestry Center and the U.S. Forest Service came together to host Forest Fest at the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon. This free community event marked a historic milestone, celebrating 250 years of America’s forests and 60 years of the World Forestry Center’s mission to educate and connect people with the natural world.
To honor this milestone, the StoryBooth Experience was on-site to preserve the personal connection between people and nature. Attendees stepped up to the microphone to record their memories, personal reflections, and stories of how forests have shaped their lives—creating a living archive of human connection that will inspire support for our forests for generations to come.
Sometimes kids just say it best, "Spend more time in nature and you’re probably on screens less." That single idea kicks off a chain of stories that feel both personal and urgent, recorded at Forest Fest in Portland, Oregon with the World Forestry Center and the U.S. Forest Service. We’re celebrating 250 years of forest stewardship in the United States and 60 years of the World Forestry Center, but what you’ll hear isn’t a lecture. It’s people telling the truth about what the woods have meant to them.
We hear from families and kids about camping trips, tents and cabins, learning to make a fire, cooking outside, playing games, and being as loud as you want without bothering anyone. Others share quieter memories: a calming walk that slows the day down, a backyard patch of woods that turns into a playground, and hikes where you notice animals and feel your attention come back online. Along the way we reflect on why forests support mental health, how outdoor recreation changes our relationship with technology, and why local parks and national forests matter just as much as the far-off places we dream about.
Then the conversation turns forward. People name climate change, deforestation, and plastic pollution as threats that show up in real habitats, not just headlines. The hopes are specific: stop using so much plastic, protect the environments we still have, rebuild wildlife habitat, and manage forests in smarter ways so future generations inherit more than thin memories of trees.
If these stories spark something in you, subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode, share this with someone who needs a reset, and leave a review to help more listeners find it. What’s one forest memory you’ll never forget?