What's Going On?  Reading the Wild
in Tracks, Trees, and Time

During this workshop we’ll turn all of our senses on and tromp through the wilds to uncover the simple question of “what’s going on?” Nothing is off of our radar: we’ll discuss anything from insect tracks to why the largest trees on earth grow here. We’ll be tracking, birding, botanizing, philosophising, and storytelling simultaneously: we’ll put all of these parts together to see the whole context of time and space. We’ll discuss any and all tracks/signs we find; how to ID faint scratches on trees or marks in the mud; animal behavior; phenology; most importantly, we’ll explore how good it feels to be a human walking along a riverbank as the sun dangles above our heads.

All of this will happen under the basic concept of “dirt time”: being out on the land. I’ll tell you my stories and you’ll tell me yours. By the end of our time together, I’ll hopefully convince you that paying attention to all aspects of the natural world is the most fascinating channel you could tune in to. My teaching style is very student-driven, if not completely: I will work with you to learn, and sprinkle some surprises in…