Advanced Bird Language Intensive
with Dan Gardoqui,
at Hawk Circle Wilderness Education in Cherry Valley, NY.
May 3-8, 2009
Understanding bird language can make you "invisible" in the forest. Learn to decipher what the birds are telling us about the location and intention of other animals, and also what they have to say about our own patterns of movement and awareness. This exciting week will open your senses to the various "shapes" of bird language - rings of movement, sound, and feeling that ripple across the landscape. Learn to move quietly while expanding the circle of your awareness through the power of bird language, a skill that has been passed down through countless generations of trackers around the world. This workshop is well suited to birders (both new & veteran), wildlife trackers, outdoor educators, hunters, and nature enthusiasts in general.
Staff: Dan Gardoqui has been studying and practicing Bird Language since the age of 15 when his mentor Jon Young challenged him to touch a wild deer. Dan is co-founder and director of White Pine Programs in southern Maine where he trains youth and adults in nature awareness, wildlife tracking, and more. As a dad with two little boys, he spends his rare free time tracking, hunting, fishing, and listening to and imitating the birds. He served as Bird Language consultant for the Boston Museum of Science's permanent exhibit "A Bird's World." Dan is a Registered Maine Guide, Wilderness First Responder, and Certified Wildlife Tracker.
Daily Schedule: In general, we'll be up early - with or before the birds most days. That being said, we'll take a siesta for a few hours after lunch. I usually teach in the evenings for slideshows, powerpoints, films or other presentations. By the week's end, we will have a evening celebration on the last night with music, stories, and a good campfire to go with it.
What to Bring (curriculum-related):
Binoculars
Any related field guides
(birds, mammals, tracking, etc.)
Journal
Pencil (be prepared to write in the rain)
A comfy camp chair /folding chair to use in the field (we'll do multiple field sits per day)
Who Can Attend:
Open to adults 18 and up, with some exceptions made for homeschoolers attending with a parent or guardian.
Course is open to 20 participants, so the group is small and there will be many instructors helping. Camping, cabins, open air lean-to, tipi or earth shelters are our accommodations, and food is included.
For more info: ricardo.j.sierra@gmail.com, or 607-264-3396, or www.hawkcircle.com
