Healing Story Alliance presents OARS in the Water
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Online - FREE - Donations please.
Hosted by: Elisa Pearmain and Ellie Sarty
Theme: Listening to the Wisdom of Nature
We are interconnected and woven together with nature. How have you learned to know and experience this? Has this changed how you relate to living with nature? In what ways have you been transformed by listening to the wisdom of nature? Every life contains small, profound moments of beauty and clarity. We carry these treasures with us as personal touchstones. Join our discussion about memories that define us, and the joy of sharing them with those we love.
OARS in the Water is a facilitated Zoom gathering that meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 7 pm Eastern Time. The Healing Story Alliance’s OARS in the Water offers a community listening space in which to share the experiences and stories that have emerged in turbulent times.
OARS co-hosts facilitate the evening and provide participants with a warm welcome and a meaningful theme which we hope will be healing, supportive and inspiring.
Format: A typical 90-minute meeting consists of a 20-minute, theme-based opening, followed by 20 minutes in breakout rooms, and then we reassemble for a whole group conversation.
Admission is free, although donations are deeply appreciated and help support our programming. Your tax-deductible donation can be made here: https://square.link/u/d9xbGN2I
About our Hosts
Ellie Sarty is a longtime advocate for animals, an ordained interspecies chaplain and the founder of Compassion Arts, an arts and education all-volunteer project for compassion for animals and the Earth. Ellie also leads an EarthCare study group with Unity of Central Massachusetts and is currently coordinating an Animal Story program for the fall.
Elisa Pearmain has been telling stories professionally since 1987, and always with a penchant for the many healing benefits of story. She is the award-winning author of 52 Wisdom Tales from Around The World, Once Upon a Time: Storytelling to Teach Character and Prevent Bullying, and the double CD Forgiveness: Telling Our Stories in New Ways. Elisa is also a Psychotherapist in private practice, is on the Advisory Board of the Healing Story Alliance and is chair of the HSA Programming Committee.
