What we’re about
Greetings hikers and nature lovers! We would like to encourage naturalists and those with an interest in the natural world to go on walks, hikes, workshops, camps, classes, conservation fundraisers and educational forays with us around Puget Sound, in the North Cascades and Central Washington Canyonlands, and the Olympic Peninsula. We encourage you to become an organizer and post events!
When you are out for a hike, are you curious to learn more about the animals, plants, trees, insects and birds? Would you like to learn more about the ones which have practical uses for food, shelter, fire, medicine, crafts, tools or survival? Do you know which ones can be hazards? Do you know who made that track? Can you tell what the birds are communicating through their vocalizaitons? Maybe you want to know more about how the land was formed, or its history. This is the place to share what you know and hopefully learn from others as well.
Northwest Nature Hikes may have specific goals like birding, marine animals or geocaching. We may want to seek wildflowers in the spring, berries in the summer, or do some snow tracking in the winter, but most will be more open to simply looking and seeing what we can discover along the way. The important thing is that the destination is not the goal. Our goal is to take time to explore, share and learn more about nature and our connection with it.
What to bring: Cell phone and the 10 essentials. See http://www.mountaineers.org/images/tenessen...
Optional items: binoculars, notebook, field guides, magnifying lenses, camera
DISCLAIMER: The leaders function as nature facilitators only. By signing up for any event on this site you represent that you have read, understand and agree to the terms of this disclaimer. You accept that hiking, on and off-trail, is a potentially dangerous activity that can result in injury or death and that weather and trail conditions can change. You agree to come prepared and by this you acknowledge that you join us on this hike at your own risk. You are responsible for your own safety and agree to hold harmless all organizers and leaders in the event of injury or loss.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Wildlife Safety, Bird Alarms, Animal Tracks & TrailsOrting Bell Tower, Orting, WA$195.00
##### Saturday, April 26, 2025 Workshop from 9:30-5:30 in Orting WA, just 45 minutes south of SeaTac. Cost is $95 with carpooling available. To register additional friends and family members, use Promo Code ADDITIONALFRIENDSFAM for $5 off their fees.
Join us for a great day tracking and trailing wild animals. Learn to know when cougars, coyotes, bears or other critters are around by listening to the birds on the trail, and learn what to do in case you run into them. Learn to view nature like a detective, following clues and solving mysteries that others neglect to see. Amazingly, animals reveal themselves to all who can read their stories in the earth. As you will see, tracks can even tell us about the size, health, emotions, history and even intentions of animals which would otherwise remain hidden all around us.
We’ll start with a safety overview for living, hiking, hunting and foraging in wolf, cougar and bear country. It is important to understand large predators and their prey in order to keep yourself safe, and to keep them safe in the wild. That’s the crux of the matter: everyone wants to protect nature and themselves at the same time. The key is knowledge, and taking right action based on that knowledge. Each species has particular triggers to become aware of, and you should learn their “language” in order to avoid problems.The workshop takes place where sign of all the big and little wild animals found in our bioregion are concentrated. Whether you hunt with a camera, bow or gun, or if you just love northwest wildlife, you are welcome you to join us for a special day of tracking. Learn specialized tracking and trailing skills as we venture to get close to elk, deer, bear, and a host of other critters as well. In addition to learning what to do in case you run into bears on the trail, you will gain skills to help you become the first to know where to find (or avoid) their hidden dens.
Chris measuring mountain lion tracks during workshop.The most important skill in nature is awareness, whether it be for safety or discovering animals. We will start by practicing “wide angle vision” like owls do, plus “expanded hearing” like deer use to decipher whether sounds they hear in the forest are predators or friendlies, and the “stealth walk” like foxes teach us in order to move undetected in nature so we see more animals and experience their behavior as if we weren’t there. We like to say that if you bring home just one set of skills from tonight’s class, that these awareness activities are it. They will help you see more wildlife, and keep you safer, in city and wilderness, better than any other set of knowledge.
In order to help you open to a world of evidence that animals leave wherever they move, we’ll look for and discuss scrapes, lays, burrows, latrines, larders, nests, partial tracks, pressure releases, vegetative cuttings, and everything else we can find – even the condition of feathers to determine exactly how or if a bird might have been killed or injured.You also have to be able to trail animals if you want to find them, so now that your eyes are adjusted to seeing sign, we’re going to train you in the kind of trailing that real animal trackers use, keeping your head up and walking fast, identifying voices of the birds to know what is up ahead!
##### FAQs
Who are the instructors? Wolf Camp directors Kim & Chris Chisholm are leading this workshop.
What ages can participate? Workshops are designed for adults, but youth may enroll with a parent/guardian.
How should we prepare for the workshop? Please prepare as you normally would for a hike, including snacks, lunch, water bottle, 10 essentials, etc., but especially with appropriate clothing including rain gear and waterproof footwear. Also, bring along a set of binoculars, digital camera, and if you don’t have a birding field guide yet and wish to purchase one, we recommend: Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest by David Moskowitz, among others.
