Registrations are closed
Thank you for your interest in the Naturalist Training Program. This year's class is already full. We will be offering the class again next year, so please check in again next spring.
Naturalist Training Program 2024
The Naturalist Training Program is a series of 8 classes designed to teach you a wide variety of naturalist skills.
Location
Refund Policy
About this event
- 217 days 9 hours
The Naturalist Training Program meets once a month, April-November, at various field locations within 1.5 hours of Portland.
- Explore local natural areas
- Expand your awareness of the natural world
- Learn to interpret what you see
- Develop technical skills
- Develop your sense of place
The program is designed to develop your skills in wildlife tracking, botany, ecology, navigation and map reading, wilderness survival skills, and reading the landscape. We want to get you outside, looking at the landscape, learning how to interpret what you see, and - most importantly - developing a sense of belonging in nature.
While each class emphasizes a different topic, class discussions will cover a wide range of subjects each day. Which animals and plants show themselves also helps determine the content of each day's lesson.
Each day includes 6 hours of field time, with start and end times set to accommodate travel times to and from the sites. Classes build on each other, covering more advanced topics as the season progresses.
- Introduction to Animal Tracking and Plant Identification | April 13 | Sauvie Island
- Bird Language, Plant Identification, and Foraging | May 11 | Oxbow Regional Park
- Forest Ecology and Navigation | June 15| Mt. Hood National Forest, Lost Creek Trail
- Conifer Identification, Navigation, and Awareness | July 20 | Mt. Hood National Forest, Little John Sno Park
- Sign Tracking and Animal Behavior | Aug 17 | Location TBD
- Forest Ecology and Navigation | Sept 14 | Mt. Hood National Forest, Pioneer Bridle Trail
- Wilderness Survival | Oct 12 | Mt. Hood National Forest, Barlow Sno Park
- Snow Tracking, Interpreting Gaits and Trail Patterns, Winter Plant Identification | Nov 16 | Mt. Hood National Forest, exact location weather dependent
See our website for more details on topics covered: www.cascadiawild.org/naturalist-training-program
Learn more about Cascadia Wild Classes: www.cascadiawild.org/classes
Cost is $560 for the series.
Current Cascadia Wild volunteers: cost for the series is $450. When registering, use the promo code CaWVolunteer20percentdiscount
Contact us to register with a monthly payment plan: info@cascadiawild.org