Chapel Hill goes Into the Wild

The Monti and Townsend Bertram & Company hosted their fourth annual Into the Wild event on Friday night at the Forest Theatre to celebrate the outdoors. 

The event featured five people who shared their personal stories of braving the elements and what it means for them to be in the wild. There were also food trucks and a performance by local artist Ella Bertram. 

“I think this event is one that brings a lot of people together from different parts of the Triangle, being under the stars for a really magical night of listening to people’s stories,” said Betsy Bertram, the community outreach coordinator for Townsend Bertram & Company.

She said she called Jeff Polish, executive director of the Monti, four years ago and asked if he wanted to create an event that includes community members telling stories about the outdoors. 

“We were a natural fit for them because they love going out into nature and the outdoors, and we love to tell stories, so why don’t we tell stories about going out into nature,” Polish said. 

All proceeds went to Learning Outside, a nonprofit committed to giving children experiences in the outdoors. 

Polish said part of the reason he thinks Into the Wild is an important event is because people haven’t been investing their time in the outdoors as much as they should. 

“I really believe that we need to celebrate what’s real, and what’s real are the wonderful places that this state has to offer and the stories that surround those places,” he said.

Bertram handles the event logistics, such as lighting and marketing, while Polish prepares the storytellers.

“The cool thing about this event is that we both have very different customer bases, but they come together and really enjoy this event and it’s a great way for both of us to expose what we do to new customers and new markets,” Bertram said. 

Don Basnight, one of the event’s storytellers, has worked in sales for over 20 years. His love for reading, and some encouragement from his family, motivated him to participate.

“I got encouraged to try writing, so I’ve written a few stories, and I’ve always enjoyed telling stories to my nieces and nephews and stuff like that,” he said. 

Some of his stories are inspired by his relationship with a cousin who passed away in an accident. These stories center around camping, boating and fishing adventures.

“The underlying part of the story was about our love and relationship to each other and our shared experiences into the wild,” he said. 

Into the Wild has grown since its first year. This year, around 300 people attended the event. 

Event attendee Hailey Wise said it’s interesting to hear stories from the community and how people interpret what the wild is. 

“I think giving people platforms to tell their stories and share their experiences is the best way to build community,” she said. “I think that it’s important to remind ourselves that not everybody has had the same experiences and the same lives as we have.”

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