We erroneously think stories are shaped by people; in fact stories shape people. Critical stories have connections to the best science, best practices, and relationship to the art of survival. Could the science of storytelling be directly linked to the art of survival? Is our capacity to adapt directly linked to our ability to communicate? As remotely sensed and ground based science capabilities increase, science communication relies even more on storytelling to convey this research; moving content from data collection to stories, anecdotes and narratives which are much easier to comprehend. Non-expert audiences often get the majority of their scientific information from mass media relying on stories that are relevant and resonate. We welcome abstracts that show examples of traditional storytelling, yet more importantly, demonstrate multiple ways of knowing including practices that encourage sustainability and communicate lessons learned today through more effective storytelling, artful, compelling media, and more impactful results.