Two enterprising ecopreneurs are journeying to 11 cities for a Stone Soup Listening Tour, beginning September 7. Linda Sechrist, Natural Awakenings editor/writer and co-founder of Upstate Green Central Station and Sharon J. Kleitsch, founder of The Connection Partners, will meet hundreds of innovative individuals, listen to sustainability stories and learn about green initiatives across the nation.

Through their networks, the women are connecting with regional nonprofit, business, government and media leaders to support what they and others are doing in the tour cities. “Gathering and sharing this information creates a satisfying, savory ‘stone soup’ of true sustenance,” says Sechrist. 

The duo will collect a bounty of stories from each community as they travel, contributing them to the next city’s “pot.” “Our mission is to produce a soulfully good soup story that sustains all,” say Sechrist and Kleitsch. “At present, we believe that sustainability stories and initiatives are disconnected and ineffective, unable to transform, modify or enhance the momentum of the grassroots movement already taking place.”

“Many individuals and groups are already hosting conversations to address current issues,” adds Kleitsch. “We’re just connecting the green dots, stirring the stone soup pot, and watching what happens.”

The September tour, in collaboration with 11 Natural Awakenings publishers, begins in San Diego, California and moves to Tucson (September 9) and Phoenix (September 10), in Arizona. It continues to Albuquerque (September 12) and Santa Fe (September 13-14), in New Mexico, then swings to Oklahoma City (September 16-17) and Tulsa (September 18), in Oklahoma. The final leg includes Little Rock, Arkansas (September 20) and three stops in Tennessee: Memphis (September 21), Nashville (September 22) and Chattanooga (September 23). The tour ends in Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina, on September 24.

Stories, photos and video interviews will be posted on blog.naturalawakeningsmag.com, YouGottaGoGreen.com, CircleConnections.com, UpstateGreenCentralStation.com, YouTube and Facebook.

Contact Linda Sechrist at [email protected] or Sharon Joy Kleitsch at [email protected].