As part of this year’s Climate Preparedness Week programming, Forbes Library welcomes Echoes of Nature: Hampshire County, a unique interdisciplinary performance by singer-songwriter Jess Martin and poet Kim Hoff.

Echoes of Nature combines live music, poetry, and projected visuals to explore themes of place, memory, and environmental care. Rooted in the landscapes of Western Massachusetts, the performance celebrates local ecologies while reflecting on identity, belonging, and community action in the face of climate change.

This special event aligns with the 2025 Climate Prep Week theme: Caring for the Earth, Yourself, and Your Community. Through storytelling and song, the artists invite audiences to reflect on their relationship to land and each other — offering a space of shared connection and creative resilience.

About the performers: Jess Martin is a queer singer-songwriter whose raw, lyrical style blends punk blues with folk traditions. Kim Hoff is a poet, essayist, and environmental educator whose work highlights the intersections of ecology and identity. Together, their collaboration amplifies the voices of place and people through an innovative, immersive performance format.

The program is funded in part by grants from the Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, and Williamsburg Cultural Councils — local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Additional funding is provided by Forbes Library.