Upcoming Workshops

I'll be teaching three different nature poetry or nature journaling workshops over the next couple of months in Jefferson and Augusta: 

Writing the Weather, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, ME, February 15, 2025
We never know what to expect of the weather in February--from deep freeze and heavy snows to an early thaw and springlike breezes, the month can bring almost any kind of weather. In this nature writing workshop, we'll take inspiration from whatever the sky gives us and, through a combination of word play, visualization, and making metaphors, we'll generate poems that invoke, personify, and celebrate the weather in its many different guises. We'll alternate among standing group exercises, sitting to write, and walking around to get our blood flowing, so please dress appropriately for staying warm outside, and consider bringing an insulated pad to sit on. 
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Journaling Backyard Birds, Viles Arboretum, Augusta, ME, April 1, 8, 15, and 22
Amy Tan’s delightful book The Backyard Bird Chronicles demonstrates how careful observation and recording of the activities of the feathered visitors to our yards and feeders can turn these mysterious wild creatures into familiar friends, each with its own story to tell. Join us for a creative and inspiring workshop that combines birdwatching, writing, and art to deepen your connection to nature. In this four-session workshop, we’ll read and discuss select passages from The Backyard Bird Chronicles and use these as inspiration to create illustrated journals of our own bird observations. Through in-class lessons and take-home exercises, participants will:

• Learn the basics of nature drawing and writing.
• Develop skills in observing and recording bird behavior.
• Cultivate a creative practice that fosters a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

Poetry is for the Birds, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, ME, April 5, 2025
Birds have long been a source of inspiration to poets around the world. With April marking the beginning of bird migration season in Maine, what better time to explore our feathered friends through poetry of our own? In this workshop, we'll walk into HVNC, looking and listening for birds. We'll talk about birds as symbols, metaphors, and poetic subjects in their own right; look at examples of bird poetry; and use the ideas and images we've gathered to create poems about the birds we encounter--or imagine--while in the nature center. Be sure to dress for the weather, including periods of sitting still outdoors, and consider bringing an insulated pad to sit on. 

Click on the titles above to register (keep an eye on my Workshops page for a link to the April HVNC workshop, which should be available in the next few weeks). Both HVNC workshops are free! The Arboretum one is $100 for all four weeks. Hope to see you there!