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.  

• Introduction of students in opening circle, intro to Animism, slowing down, attention and the art of questioning (curiosity).

• Sensory meditation to bring our minds together / reading of 'Sometimes a Wild God' poem with later fireside chat.

• 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 with focus on Bear sign & ancestral stomp trail, Salmonberry & Salmonberry Bird

• Explore sand and gravel bars at Chinook Bend, Deer vs Elk tracks, Dog vs Coyote tracks

• Optional fireside chats both Friday and Saturday evenings - Topics of Animism and Animal Perception / Umvelt concept

• Introduce book reading - Braiding Sweetgrass

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

• Opening circle - sensory exercise / Animist gratitude / which landscape do you belong to?

• Introduce Indigenous presence and Wanapum history

• Introduction to Sage-Brush Steppe ecosystem / Missoula floods / visit River Otter latrine site / Muskrat lodge / Rattlesnake hibernaculum

• 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

• Observe Beaver, Muskrat, Birds on Lyle Lake / Talk Rattlesnake Hibernaculum / Badger Burrows

• Plastic Cast exercise and instruction either along Hanford Reach sand road or Moses Lake Dunes or at Crab Creek in Salt Flats / under bridge.  Everyone gets plaster and a chance to cast tracks of choice and bring home a treasure.

• Look for sign of Kangaroo Rat, Beaver, Otter, and Porcupine / listen for 

• Optional fireside chats both Friday & Saturday evenings / book discussion

• Introduce next book reading - Coyote America

• Possible stop at Whiskey Dick on the way home Sunday for Mountain birds, wildflowers and Horned Lizards / recommend visiting Ginko Petrified Forest visitor center

San Juan Island Prairie with camping San Juan Island County Park

• Opening circle - sensory exercise / gratitude ceremony / Thanksgiving Address / dialogue

• Indigenous presence in San Juans / shell middens

• Sit-spot 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, Vultures

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

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

• Possible Madrone Cellars visit - Sunday brunch?

• Introduce bird language / skits to perform / 5 voices / baseline vs alarm / seasonal cycles of different calls

• Feather lesson and discussion / touch on pellets and bird scats as well

• Discuss different Woodpeckers in PNW, sign and niches (tongue wrapping around skull)

• Optional fireside chats both Friday and Saturday nights - book discussions

• Introduce next book -  How to Love a Forest 

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

• Asking permission

• 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

• Guest - Jamie from Montana - talk about local Wolf pack history, current status

• Tracks along forest service roads in Teanaway Forest / Dog vs Wolf / watch for Bears foraging / Turkey vs other game birds / another chance to plaster cast tracks / look for Scrapes

• Sit spot in Yakima Canyon

• Review Bird language - listen for alarms in Canyon

• Fireside chats both Friday and Saturday nights - book discussion

• Introduce next book -  Is A River Alive? 

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

• Watch Fish Wars documentary as a class?

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

• Forest therapy session

• Walk boardwalk & tidal area at Nisqually / look for Muskrat & Frogs / watch for Harbor Seals nursing pups at haulout sites

• Dawn Chorus bird sit early AM Sunday at campsite

• Walk the driving auto tour route at Ridgefield / look for Nutria & Bitterns

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

• Watch for Brown-Headed Cowbird fledglings (Buffalo birds) being fed by other species / watch for other babies!!

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

• Fireside chats Friday and Saturday nights - reading discussion

• Introduce next book - Something in the Woods Loves You

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

• Opening circle - sensory exercise / Thanksgiving Address dialogue

• Indigenous presence on Baker

• Forest therapy session

• Hike Chain Lake Loop trail & further out into Alpine Rock fields

• species focus on Marmot, Pika, Mountain Goat, Snowshoe Hare

• Sit spot in alpine scree fields - listening for Pika / look for Haystacks

• Glacial ecology

• Explore S Fork Park looking for tracks and sign in forest and along river

• Possible track & sign mock eval session under Acme bridge

• Fireside chats Friday and Saturday nights / topics of climate change & Bergmann's Rule / reading discussion

• Introduce next book - Restoring the Kinship Worldview

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 & Marbled Murlets

• Dawn Chorus sit

• Explore tide pools

• Visit Makah museum & tribal lands (permit necessary)

• Talk about Elwha damn removal - Estuary restoration

• Talk about Spawning Salmon & Ungulate Rut

• Fireside chats Saturday and Sunday nights / death & renewal topic / reading discussion

• Introduce next book - Cougar Conundrum

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

• Opening circle - sensory exercise / Animist gratitude / belonging

• Indigenous presence

• Lesson on Salmon ID

• Species focus on Salmon, Elk and Kingfisher

• Guest - Possible collab with Olympic Cougar Project / visit Cougar cache?

• Forest therapy session

• Sunday morning Dawn Chorus bird sit

• Look for Deer & Elk sign (antler rubs, thrashing, feeding, beds, tracks, trails, etc)

• Possible trailing exercises / Elk trail

• Fireside chats both Friday and Saturday nights / reading discussion

• Introduce next book -  Being Salmon Being Human

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 / look for Elk sign, Salmon spawning, Birds along River such as Dipper

• Forest therapy session

• Look for Eagles along River at Rockport

• Walk moss covered trail at Rockport

• Introduce next book - Spell of the Sensuous (to discuss at Winter gathering)

• Optional fireside chats both Friday and Saturday nights / reading discussion / wrap up course Saturday evening

• Visit 5B's bakery and wrap up class with pastries and treats