SANDPOINT — Whether it be a song, poem or story, the Friends of Scotchman’s Peak Wilderness is inviting all to share their wilderness experiences on Thursday night at Idaho Pour Authority.

All speakers will have around five minutes to share a tale about public lands with the audience, offering the community a chance to connect and celebrate National Public Lands Day, Savannah Willison, program director for FSPW, said. Willison said that she was inspired by other non-profits who hold speaker series events but wanted it instead to focus on the public to tell their stories. 

"I thought instead of having one speaker, we could steal a whole night to just come and share your stories,” Willison said. “Growing up in Idaho, I understand how important our land is to us and what it means as an Idahoan to be here and have access to those kinds of things.” 

National Public Lands Day, one of the biggest conservatory action days of the year, is this Saturday and Willison said that the organization wanted an event for all to enjoy. As a former U.S. Forest Service employee, Willison said she’s seen the impact that public lands have on people. 

“For some people it's where they get their food, others it's where they recreate or there’s stories that get passed down through the land,” Willison said. “It’s our backyard, Idaho is a lot of public lands, and they are all so important to us.” 

Willison said that the open mic night event has been a brainchild of the organization for a while. She said that the open mic night idea aligned perfect for the organization, which also has a blog that residents can write into to share their harrowing or inspiring outdoors stories. 

“We really want to celebrate the community of people who love and support wilderness and this is a way to share their common experiences,” Phil Hough, FSPW’s executive director, said. "We want people to engage on an emotional level and that’s what sharing stories does.” 

Hough said that stories shared at the event don’t have to be exclusive to the Scotchman’s Peak region, adding that he’ll be sharing poems he wrote in 1994 on his first journey on the Pacific Quest Trail.  

“We really welcome all voices and all stories related to people interested in wild land and wild lands.” Hough said. 

In addition to the open mic night, FSPW is hosting an event on Saturday, National Public Lands Day, which will see their team and willing members of the public climb up Goat Mountain. Willison said the event isn’t for beginners, as they’ll be using crosscut saws and other materials to clear off the steep trail for residents to use.  

The Idaho Pour Authority will be hosting the event and Willison said that the business approached the FSPW to offer their space. The IPA has committed to donate a portion of all beer sales to the FSPW, according to the event’s flier. 

Willison said that for those unable to make it to the open mic event, they can send their stories to [email protected] or [email protected] for a chance to be featured on the organization’s blog.  

“We really hope that this is an opportunity for the community to engage with each other, in learning and feeling the compassion that we all share for wild lands,” Hough said. “Hopefully that’s a little bit contagious and the leads to a ripple, if you will, as they go to other places and share their enthusiasm.”