FIELDNOTES
Field Notes is an ongoing series of storytelling expeditions.
Theater kid and thru-hiker, "Storyteller," journeys hundreds of miles across
long-distance trails to explore nature, experience humanity, and tell the stories.
Want to learn more or get in touch?
Contact storytellerfieldnotes@gmail.com
THE STORY
Tess Rowan, known by the trail name "Storyteller," is passionate about telling stories of land and community through her multimedia Field Notes projects, which span miles across podcasts, plays, video diaries, blogs, and more.
"Storyteller" recently released Field Notes: A Long Trail Odyssey, a documentary radio play about her 272-mile thru-hike of the oldest
long-distance hiking trail in America.
This summer, "Storyteller" will hike approximately 500 miles on the Colorado Trail while developing her upcoming project, Field Notes: Across Natural Skycrapers.
SUPPORT
From the Green Mountain Club to the Colorado Trail Foundation, “Storyteller” works with trail organizations to capture authentic community experiences and advocate for land conservation. Since 2025, Field Notes has been made possible through outside funding and support, including the Tisch Drama Community Engaged Summer Grant (two-time recipient) and the Changemaker Fellowship.
MEET STORYTELLER
Tess Rowan (aka "Storyteller") is a rising senior at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. When Tess was 14, she started writing Static, a Morse code musical about the Appalachian Trail, and she fell in love with long-distance hiking trails. Tess's work has been recognized at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, the Capital Fringe Festival, the Playwrights Horizons Theater School, NYU, and Stagedoor Manor.
