Paradise Valley Conservation Area & Chinook Bend with camping planned for Tolt Macdonald.

• This will be our introduction weekend where we'll talk about what to expect over the next 9 months of this course along with Raven's Roots basics and rules / regs.  

• Intro to Animism, slowing down, attention and the art of questioning (curiosity).

• Sensory meditation to bring our minds together 

• Introduce landscapes and Indigenous use / history / presence

• Practice theme of asking permission

• Introduction to wildlife tracking / animal behavior / relationality & kinship / storytelling

• Introduction to Forest Therapy and session

• Explore Paradise Valley Conservation Area

• Species focus Black Bear, Owls, Salmonberry and Salmonberry Bird

• Explore sand and gravel bars at Chinook Bend

• Optional fireside chats both Friday and Saturday evenings

• Each month, we will introduce a new book to read which we’ll discuss around the fire

Columbia National Wildlife Refuge / Moses Lake / Crab Creek / Hanford Reach with camping at Lyle lake 

• Introduce Indigenous presence and Wanapum history

• Introduction to Sage-Brush Steppe ecosystem 

• Continue wildlife track & sign, gaits & kinetics / Bird track families

• Forest therapy / belonging exercise in the Sagebrush

• Discuss Cryptobiotic Crusts

• Species focus on Badger, Coyote, River Otter, Rattlesnake, & Quail

• Dawn Chorus sit

• Plaster Cast exercise and instruction 

• Look for signs of Kangaroo Rat, Beaver, Otter, and Porcupine

• Optional fireside chats both Friday & Saturday evenings

San Juan Island Prairie with camping San Juan Island County Park

• Opening circle - sensory exercise / gratitude ceremony

• Indigenous presence in San Juans 

• Sitspot on Prairie / park at American Camp and walk down to coastline thru Prairie looking for Fox, Hare, and endangered Butterfly

• DIscuss routine of invisibility / disturbance bubble / Fox walking

• Forest therapy session

• Species focus on Red Fox & European Hare

• Coastal focus on Whales, Orcas, Harbor Seals, Sea Lions

• Visit Whale Museum - learn about Orca Pods / Orca roundup

• Introduce bird language

• Lessons on feathers, pellets, and scat

• Discuss different Woodpeckers in PNW

• Optional fireside chats both Friday and Saturday nights 

Teanaway / Yakima Canyon Umtanum Creek Rec Area  with camping Indian camp community forest

• Opening circle - sensory exercise / Poem reading / reintro for new students

• Talk about Ticks in WA / Fence Lizards

• Indigenous presence in Teanaway (The Drying Place) & Yakima Canyon

• Forest therapy session in Ponderosa Pine

• Observe Cascade Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrels

• Species focus on Wild Turkey, large Carnivores - Coyote, Wolf, Bear, Cougar

• Dive deeper into tracking

• Sit spot in Yakima Canyon

• Review Bird language - listen for alarms in Canyon

• Higher Alpine exploration on Chinook Pass near the NE corner of Mt Tahoma

• Species focus on Hoary Marmots, Pika, Mountain Goats, & Cascade Red Fox

• Fireside chats both Friday and Saturday nights

Nisqually Billy Frank NWR & Ridgefield NWR  with camping Millersylvania State Park or Riverbend campground

• Opening circle - sensory exercise / Animist gratitude / directional ceremony / belonging

• Indigenous presence & history of Medicine Creek Treaty, Billy Frank Jr & Fish Wars

• Species focus on Harbor Seals, Nutria, Great Blue Herons

• Forest therapy session

• Walk the boardwalk & tidal area at Nisqually

• Dawn Chorus bird sit at campsite

• Explore Ridgefield with a focus on Bitterns and Nutria

• Lesson on styles of Bird nests / Where to find them / materials & strategies

• Sit spot watching Great Blue Herons hunting or Harbor Seals nursing

• Fireside chats Friday and Saturday nights 

Mount Baker / Artist Point Chain Lakes Trail & South Fork Park / Acme Bridge with camping at Silver Fir Campground

• Opening circle - sensory exercise / Animist gratitude / directional ceremony / belonging

• Indigenous presence & history of Medicine Creek Treaty, Billy Frank Jr & Fish Wars

• Species focus on Harbor Seals, Nutria, Great Blue Herons

• Forest therapy session

• Walk the boardwalk & tidal area at Nisqually

• Dawn Chorus bird sit at campsite

• Explore Ridgefield with a focus on Bitterns and Nutria

• Lesson on styles of Bird nests / Where to find them / materials & strategies

• Sit spot watching Great Blue Herons hunting or Harbor Seals nursing

• Fireside chats Friday and Saturday nights

Ozette & Neah Bay with camping at Ozette, Mora, or Hoh Rainforest campground

• Opening circle - sensory exercise / Poem reading / dialogue: asking permission

• Indigenous presence of Makah, Clallam

• Hike 9-mile Ozette loop early AM with tides to maximize time on coastline / look for track & sign & petroglyphs

• Forest therapy session

• Discuss forest succession / nurse logs / Old Growth

• Species focus on Sea Otters, Elk, and Marbled Murrelets

• Dawn Chorus sit

• Explore tide pools

• Talk about Elwha dam removal - Estuary restoration

• Discuss Spawning Salmon & Ungulate Rut

• Fireside chats Saturday and Sunday nights

Dosewallips, Duckabush & Tarboo Bay with camping at Dosewallips state park

• Opening circle - sensory exercise / Animist gratitude / belonging

• Indigenous presence

• Species focus on Salmon, Elk, and Kingfisher

• Forest therapy session

• Sunday morning Dawn Chorus bird sit

• Look for Deer & Elk sign 

• Possible trailing exercises / Elk trail

• Fireside chats both Friday and Saturday nights

Cumberland Creek Nature Preserve & Rockport State Park with camping at Rasar State Park?

• Opening ceremony - sensory exercise / Thanksgiving Address dialogue

• Indigenous presence 

• Land Trust information

• Explore the forest and River coastline at Cumberland Creek

• Forest therapy session

• Look for Eagles along River at Rockport

• Walk moss covered trail at Rockport

• Optional fireside chats both Friday and Saturday nights.