Got a few minutes?

Flathead Tiny Talks wants to inspire you with snippets of information from a variety of speakers whose stories and ideas just may open up new ways of thinking.

An upcoming Flathead Tiny Talks event is planned at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish. The session will feature eight presenters who will share eight-minute talks on the topic of “People Connecting with Place.”

“Montanans are known for being independent thinkers with diverse ideas. Hearing stories from our neighbors is a great way to open up to other ways of thinking; something crucial for a community to thrive,” said Linda Graf, a local Realtor and founder of Tiny Talks.

After the presentations, tables will be set up in the lounge so the audience can continue the conversation. The event is designed so everyone has an opportunity to share their ideas and stories.

Speakers for the upcoming event and their topics include:

n Cathy Cooney, “Nature Phobic” — Cooney is director of donor services at Montana Community Foundation.

n Troy DeRoche, “Taking You Home” — DeRoche is a musician and American Indian flute maker registered with the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Board as an authentic native artist.

n John Ghekiere, “Of Fallow Fields” — Ghekiere is an engineer and manager in the semiconductor industry.

n Ky Sandelin, “Power to the People” — Sandelin is the office manager and handles bookings and guest services at Great Northern Powder Guides.

n Sherry Lewis-Peterson, “Barnyard to Battlefields” — Lewis-Peterson is a longtime education and the founder/executive director of the nonprofit Farming for the Future Academy.

n Ella Van Vlack, “Leaving the Nest” — Van Vlack is a junior on the speech and debate team at Whitefish High School.

n Todd Ware, “Air Therapy” — Ware is the owner and certified flight instructor of Air Therapy Aviation.

n Kenneth Yarus, “How a Pig’s Bladder Got Me Outside...” — Yarus is an award-winning painter who says his personal love for nature and people inspires his art.

TICKETS ARE $15 online before Nov. 1, or $20 at the door. Go to www.TinyTalks.org. Proceeds benefit the Montana Outdoor Legacy Foundation.

“The outdoor landscape of this region touches business and personal lives daily,” Jane Ratzlaff, president of Montana’s Outdoor Legacy Foundation, said in a prepared statement. “We depend on the outdoors for business, recreation, solitude and rejuvenation and this will be addressed by several of the speakers. The essence of the environment in which we thrive is important to the future of our area and reminding folks of that connection to place seems timely.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.