SPEAKING

Writing Wild Talk

60 minutes with time for Q&A

Adapted from the acclaimed book Writing Wild, this dynamic and visually rich presentation is a popular talk for botanical gardens, museums, libraries, universities, and garden clubs with community outreach programs. It offers an engaging and deeply thoughtful portrait of women and nature within the broader sweep of cultural history. Like Kathryn Aalto’s other talks, Writing Wild is enhanced by compelling visuals and immersive soundscapes that transport audiences across centuries and continents.

Audiences are taken on a fascinating journey that begins in 1818, as Kathryn climbs England’s tallest mountain alongside the ghost of Dorothy Wordsworth—diarist, poet, and the often-overlooked sister of William Wordsworth. From there, the story crosses the Atlantic to explore the legacy of Susan Fenimore Cooper, considered America’s first nature writer. Through vivid storytelling, audiences learn about the persistent challenges women faced in being published and taken seriously as writers—often dismissed as “dame scribblers”—as well as the social and historical forces that shaped their voices and silenced them.

The talk highlights how pioneering women from the 19th-century to the present observe and write about the natural world with intelligence, courage, and literary grace, often ahead of their time. Audiences leave with a deeper appreciation of how women shaped the genre of nature writing and how their work continues to resonate today.

Writing Wild is an especially powerful choice for Women’s History Month events in March. It not only celebrates overlooked and trailblazing women writers, but also invites reflection on the ongoing journey toward equality in the arts, literature, and environmental storytelling. With its blend of literary history, biography, and environmental insight, the talk inspires curiosity, conversation, and recognition of women’s vital contributions to both culture and conservation.

The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh

60 minutes with time for A&A

Beloved by generations, A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner have enchanted readers for nearly a century. In this richly illustrated and deeply engaging talk, The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh, landscape historian and author Kathryn Aalto takes audiences on a journey into the real-life forest that inspired Milne’s timeless stories — Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, England. Part travelogue, part natural history, and part literary biography, this presentation is a delightful blend of humor, birdsong, and booklore that brings the Hundred Acre Wood vividly to life.

Audiences explore how this ancient heathland, with its windswept gorse, secretive pinewoods, and sun-dappled glades, became the fictional playground of Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and friends. Through stunning visuals and evocative storytelling, Kathryn reveals the rare flora and fauna of Ashdown Forest and uncovers the little-known histories behind its role as one of England’s most ecologically and culturally significant landscapes.

Beyond the forest, the talk delves into the extraordinary life of A. A. Milne — his idyllic Edwardian childhood, service in World War I, prolific career as a playwright and humorist, and how becoming a father transformed his literary legacy. Audiences also gain insight into Milne’s creative collaboration with illustrator E. H. Shepard, whose sketches turned a beloved set of children’s tales into an enduring visual world.

The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh offers more than nostalgia. It invites reflection on the deep connections between childhood, imagination, and nature. Audiences leave with a fresh appreciation of how the Pooh books are, in many ways, quiet field guides for living with wonder and attentiveness — gentle hymns to the art of noticing, and to the beauty of doing nothing in particular.

This talk is an ideal addition to a wide range of programming — from literary festivals and nature centers to museums, libraries, and schools. It is also a meaningful choice for Women’s History Month, showcasing the work of a contemporary woman author who bridges literature, landscape, and cultural history to reframe the stories we think we know. A beautiful celebration of place and imagination, the talk reminds us that even the smallest adventures — like those in the Hundred Acre Wood — can offer the greatest insights.

Writing Workshops

Half- to full-day workshops

To book please email kathryn@kathrynaalto.com

SPEAKING ENDORSEMENTS

“Not only was Ms. Aalto thoroughly prepared and professional in her presentation, she was completely charming and engaging to our audience. As a rule, we have a very smart crowd. Ms. Aalto left the crowd delighted and satisfied with their evening out, something that does not always happen with an author presentation! We would gladly have her back for future programs…in fact it cannot be soon enough!” — Jacques Lamarre, Director of Communications, The Mark Twain House and Museum, Connecticut

“I directed Kathryn for a short ‘taster’ film for a pitch of the documentary version of her book ‘The Natural World of Winnie the Pooh’ for BBC Four. I couldn’t have asked for more from a presenter – she was extremely well prepared with excellent, engaging delivery and the ability to take direction and think on her feet. I very much hope we get to work together in the future.”— Jake Hayes, BBC Producer

“Kathryn Aalto’s event at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina drew a packed house and ranks as one of our Top 5 in 34 years. Her talk about The Natural World of Winnie the Pooh was very informative and at times laugh out loud funny. Her slides kept the audience interested. She discussed the real Hundred Acre Wood, A.A. Milne, Christopher Robin, and E. H. Shepard’s illustrations. The audience had fun and lots of folks thanked us for having her here. And we sold lots of books!” — Helen Stewart, Floor Manager, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, North Carolina

“I’ve conducted many on-air interviews throughout the last 20 years. You don’t always know what you’re going to get until you’re actually into the interview. Within 10 seconds of my first question with Kathryn, I knew my audience was in for a real treat. Kathryn was engaging, informative, very much at ease, and immediately sucked me into Winnie-the-Pooh’s world. I now have this penchant to play Poohsticks, and I’ve updated my bucket list to include a visit to Ashdown Forest.” — Bryan Earl, Host of the Zesty Garden, Utah Public Radio

past venues

Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, MA
United States Botanic Garden, Washington, D.C.
Hillwood Estate and Gardens, Washington, DC
National Press Club Book Fair, Politics & Prose Bookstore, Washington, D.C.
Garden Club of Mountain Lakes, Rockaway River Country Club, NJ
Bethlehem Garden Club, PA
Burlington Garden Club, VT
Yale Peabody Museum, Ostrom Program Series, CT
Williamsburg Book Festival, VA
Garden Club of Macon, GA
Atlanta Botanic Garden, Atlanta, GA
U.C. Berkeley Botanic Garden, CA
Ball State University, Muncie, IN
The Limberlost State Memorial, Geneva, IN
Piedmont, Orinda, and Marin Garden Clubs, CA
Bookshop Santa Cruz, CA
Titcomb’s Books, Cape Cod, MA
Summer Authors Series with Tower Hill Botanic Garden and Berkshire Botanic Garden, MA
Virtual Bird Fair, Nature Writing Panel
Modesto Garden Club, CA
Boulder Book Store, CO
Woodside Atherton Garden Club, CA
Whatcom Horticultural Society, Bellingham, WA
“Conversations with Eden” at Bellevue Botanical Garden with Heronswood Garden,WA
Findlay University, Findlay, OH
Mazza Museum, Findlay, OH
Lexington Council of Garden Clubs & the University of Kentucky Extension Master Gardeners Association, Fayette County Extension Office, KY
University of Tennessee Arboretum Society, TN
Fort Worth Garden Club, Fort Worth, TX
The New York Public Library, New York, NY
Beaconsfield Garden Club, Montreal, Canada
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

ESRI Auditorium, University of Redlands, CA
Resurgence Magazine, Monthly Book Group
Plymouth Public Library, MA
Little Garden Club of Rye, Garden Club of America, NY
Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden, Rockford, IL
Reynolda Gardens of Wake Forest University, NC
North Country Garden Club with Old Westbury Gardens, NY
Fort Orange Garden Club, Albany, NY
Cornell University Botanic Garden, NY
Farmington Garden Club and Farmington Library, CT
New London Garden Club, NH
Weeders and Diggers Garden Club, Montreal, Canada
Beaconsfield Garden Club, Montreal, Canada
The Preservation Society of Newport County, RI
Hamilton College, Hamilton, New York
Lexington Community Education, Lexington, MA
Baldwin Library Speakers Series, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston, TX
The Garden Club of Houston, TX
Children’s Literature Series, Faculty of Education, Cambridge University
Rural Writing Institute, Cumbria, UK
Bedford Garden Club, MA
New London Garden Club, NH
Ridgefield Library, CT
New Dominion Bookshop, Charlottesville, VA
Mary C. O’Keefe Arts and Cultural Center, Oceanside, MS
Louisiana Book Festival, Baton Rouge, LA
LSU Hilltop Arboretum and Baton Rouge Herb Society, Baton Rouge, LA
Garden District Bookshop, New Orleans, LA

University of Tennessee Arboretum Lecture Series
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
Winchester Writers’ Festival, Winchester, UK. Teaching “The Art of Narrative Nonfiction” and “Writing a Winning Proposal”
Cincinnati Museum Center, Insights Lecture Series, Lloyd Library & Museum, Ohio
Carmel Clay Public Library, Carmel Clay, Indiana
Kingwood Center Gardens, Mansfield, Ohio
Environmental Literature Institute, Phillips Exeter Academy, NH
Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA
Rakestraw Books, Danville, CA
Laguna Beach Garden Club, Laguna Beach, CA
Ramona Garden Club and Ramona Library, CA
Mission Hills Garden Club, San Diego, CA
Vromen’s Bookstore, Pasadena, CA
University of Redlands, Esri Auditorium, Redlands, CA
Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK
The Gardens at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
State Arboretum of Virginia, Blandy, VA
Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, UK
St. John’s Outdoor University, Collegeville, MN
Twin Cities Book Festival, Minneapolis, MN
Pratt Library & Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD
Georgia Center for the Book, Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, GA
State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Athens, GA
The Taft School, Watertown, CT
Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH

Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge, MA
Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Bolyston, MA
Harvard Bookstore, Boston, MA
Titcomb’s Bookstore, Sandwich, MA
Water Street Bookstore, Exeter, NH
WORD, Jersey City, NJ
Hunterdon Library/The Book Garden, Frenchtown, NJ
Spotty Dog Books and Ale, Hudson, NY
Bookworm/Bernardsville Public Library, NY
Doylestown Bookshop, Doylestown, PA
The Union League, Philadelphia, PA
The Acorn Club, Philadelphia, PA
Westport Library, Westport, CT
Mark Twain House, Hartford, CT
Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC
Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC
McIntyre’s, Pittsboro, NC
Virginia Festival of the Book, Charlottesville, VA
The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL
The Newberry Library Chicago, IL
Bartholomew County Library, Columbus, IN
Hudson Library & Historical Society, Hudson, OH
The Town Club, Pasadena, CA
Laguna Beach Garden Club, CA
Village Books, Bellingham, WA
Monroe Public Library, Monroe, WA
Third Place Books, Seattle, WA
Inland Empire Gardening Club, Spokane, WA
Everett Community College, Everett, WA
Northwest Flower & Garden Show, Seattle, WA
Toby’s Garden Festival, Powerderham Castle, UK
Penzance Literary Festival, UK
The Gilbert White House, Selbourne, UK
Swanwick Writers’ Summer School, UK
Ashdown Forest Centre, UK
The Garden Museum’s Literary Festival, Hatfield House, UK
Devon Wildlife Trust Wildlife Ambassadors