Spring Programs At A Glance
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April 26 Stalking & Mindfulness
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April 26 Spring Wildflowers & Photography
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May 11 Ancient Tool Making: Native American Atl-Atl
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May 18 Birding in Mid-Spring
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May 24 Tracking - The Finer Details
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May 25 Reading The Spring Landscape
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June 14 & 15 Ancient Tool Making: Stone Tools
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June 21st Birding in Late Spring
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June 21st Sand Tracking
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June 22 Black Bears in the Berkshires
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June 28-29 Tracking Camping Weekend
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July Black Bear Research Project - Dates To Be Announced
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Watch For Other Programs!
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Wildflowers and Photography
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Saturday, April 26, 9 am - 1 pm
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In this workshop you will visit beautiful locations in the Pioneer Valley during the peak of early wildflower blooming. You will learn to identify species such as bloodroot, wild ginger, trillium, and dutchman’s breeches, as these early woodland flowers emerge on the forest floor to soak up sunlight before tree leaves unfold.
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In this workshop John will combine his passion for photography and wildflowers and will share his knowledge with you. You will learn photographic techniques to capture the beauty and essence of these ephemeral harbingers of spring. Whether you use digital or film, this workshop will help you to become a better photographer and take your avocation to a higher plane of artistry.
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John Green has been photographing nature for over 30 years and has achieved an impressive background of knowledge and a large portfolio of work. He has been an instructor for Paul Rezendes Photography and Nature Programs, he has run a field school on nature photography for the Massachusetts Audubon Society for more than 20 years, and he leads photographic excursions all over the country. He has been featured on the television series “PBS Kids,” and his print work and slide shows have been exhibited widely. This program will meet in Sunderland, Massachusetts.
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(Please note: Participants should have a basic working knowledge of their equipment before taking this course.)
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with John Green
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Limit: 10 Fee: $40
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Reading the Spring Landscape
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Sunday, May 25, 2008 9 am - 5 pm
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Spend a day in western Vermont learning about the habits and habitats of our indigenous northern woodland animals. Through careful observation and interpretation of both obvious and subtle field signs, we will investigate how various species interact with the landscape and its botanical composition. This program will be about physical sensing, awareness of forest inhabitants, recognizing dynamics and disturbances, and becoming one and the same with nature. Recognizing and reading remote environs allows you to become part of the forest community, to know the forest just as you know your home and yourself.
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Join Alcott for an adventure-filled day in the forest sharpening your physical senses and enhancing your ecological awareness. Alcott’s indefatigable energy and boundless knowledge about the forest and its inhabitants will leave you in awe. (Hiking will be in very rough and wild terrain where there are no trails, so be prepared for a challenging, strenuous, and physically demanding day).
This program will meet in Hubbardton Vermont. Lying between the Green Mountains to the east and the Taconics and Lake Champlain to the west, this area in home to some of the greatest diversity of plants and animals in New England. Bears, Eastern Coyotes, and Snowshoe Hare are some of the abundant wildlife in this northern hardwood forest.
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Important: Students MUST be in excellent physical shape
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with Alcott Smith
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Limit: 14 Fee: $50/person
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Quabbin: Exploration & Discovery
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Sunday, June 1, 2008 10 am - 3 pm
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The Quabbin is a beautiful oasis, with over 80,000 acres of protected land and water. In this series of programs we visit special, little-visited areas of the reservation that we have discovered and grown to love over the past 40+ years. There is a lifetime of discovery awaiting here: the geologic history that formed the land; the native Nipmuc people who once called the area home; the European colonists who settled here and built towns and villages; the creation of the reservoir that displaced the people and flooded the valleys; the native flora and fauna that have reclaimed the land; the continuing human pressures that threaten the survival of the remnants of the wild.
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In today’s program we will explore roads leading to the former manufacturing village of Millington, now under water in the reservoir. We will explore many stonewalls and cellarholes of former residents in the area. Along the way we will discuss the ecology of the forest which has reclaimed the land. Our hike will take us across Moosehorn Brook, culminating with breath-taking views of the reservoir to the south. |
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This program will take us about three miles round-trip, almost all of it on good trails on flat terrain, making easy walking. Hiking will be generally light to moderate, with some of it off-trail. This program will meet in Western Massachusetts near New Salem from where we will carpool to the trailhead.
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with Nick & Valerie Wisniewski
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Limit: 12 Fee: $50/person
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The Ancient Art of Tool Making
Stone Tools: Function and Beauty
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Saturday, June 7, 2008 1 pm - 4 pm
and Sunday, June 8, 2008 1 pm - 4 pm
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On Day One, you will learn about the historical aspects of stone tools and their place in early North American cultures, as well as in other paleo-cultures around the world. The geological origins of raw materials will be explained, and sources for these materials will be discussed. Rob will demonstrate how to make some of these tools using traditional materials and methods, as well as with modern tools and materials. On Day Two, students will take their knowledge to a higher level with hands-on work with stone. You will learn the step-by-step process of creating working points out of raw materials using tools as indigenous peoples did. A specially assembled tool kit will be available for purchase (cost: $30) at the workshop.
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Rob Leverett, of Cherokee-Choctaw ancestry, is a recognized expert in stone tool making. His excitement about the subject is contagious, and students find themselves mesmerized by his depth of knowledge. Whether you are a novice or have prior experience, you will love these classes! The course will be held at Walnut Hill Tracking & Nature Center in Orange, Mass., outdoors if the weather permits, or in our 1850’s barn in the event of rain.
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with Rob Leverett
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Limit: 12 Fee: $75/person
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Tracking: The Finer Details
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Saturday, June 14, 2008 10 am - 3 pm
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This class will teach how to track animals and people under different conditions. Through various exercises and techniques, you will learn to see the wealth of information left on the forest floor. You’ll spend a lot of time on hands and knees, nose to the ground, examining the most minute details of tracks. You’ll learn to recognize and follow a trail over surfaces that make tracking very difficult.
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Kent Hicks is an expert in human tracking whose assistance is sought by many organizations. He is considered by many trackers to be one of the leading authorities on the art and science of aging tracks. Kent will teach you how to apply this knowledge to your tracking to bring it to a higher level, whether human tracking or animal tracking. Whether you are a beginner, an intermediate, or an advanced tracker, this class is a must! Many expert trackers have taken this class from Kent several times, expanding and enriching their tracking skills.
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This course will be held in the foothills of the Berkshires along the wild and scenic Westfield River in western Massachusetts. Bring pen, paper, and something waterproof to kneel on.
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with Kent Hicks
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Limit: 15 Fee: $50/person
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Sand Tracking
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Saturday, June 21, 2008 10 am - 3 pm
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Come explore Horseneck Beach Reservation in Westport, Massachusetts. This will be an amazing day of studying tracks and sign with one of the leading trackers in the country, John McCarter. The beach and dunes here provide an unparalleled setting for tracking in sand. This diverse landscape is home to a huge range of wildlife, including gray fox, red fox, eastern coyote, white-tailed deer, cottontail rabbit, raccoon, opossum, and striped skunk. You will learn about print identification and track patterns as well as how to take accurate track and trail measurements. With John as your guide, you will learn to read the stories in the sand. Horseneck beach is spread across nearly 600 acres of barrier beach and salt marsh. The combination of ocean beach and estuary habitat make Horseneck one of the most unique environments in New England. A rich mix of flora and fauna in a beautiful natural setting, with the expert guidance of an extraordinary tracker, make this a program you do not want to miss.
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Hiking will be moderate and off-trail. Bring sunscreen, a hat to shield your head, and plenty of water to drink.
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with John McCarter
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Limit: 12 Fee: $50/person
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Black Bears
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Sunday, June 22, 2008 10 am - 4 pm
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Enjoy an adventurous day in bear country. This is bear mating season. Mothers are seperating from their yearling cubs and are being joined by the huge and powerful males. You will see plenty of black bear sign, which could include tracks, trails, scat, bear “nests,” digs, claw and bite marks on trees, and “whammy” trees. John McCarter has spent many seasons here in black bear country and is always making exciting new discoveries! Come learn about these highly intelligent animals.
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You will be hiking in very rough and wild terrain where there are no trails, so be prepared for challenging, strenuous and physically demanding hiking. This class will be held in western Massachusetts in the Berkshires near Charlemont.
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with John McCarter
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Limit: 15 Fee: $50/person
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Tracking Weekend
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Saturday, June 28, 8 am, thru Sunday, June 29, 5 pm
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Join Nick and Valerie for a full weekend immersed in the fascinating world of animal tracks and sign. We will explore a large rustic area with diverse habitats, from rocky ledges with Bobcats, Porcupines, and Fishers, to extensive wetlands and swamps with Beavers, Otters, and Moose. We will drive to our rustic campsite (outhouses, no showers) to set up camp, then spend the rest of the day tracking in the forest. We will return to camp for supper and storytelling at the campfire, followed by a night-walk to experience the forest as the animals do - in the dark. Sunday will be spent honing our skills interpreting animal tracks in an area with extensive sandy beaches where we will find tracks of many animals. This is an intensive program, with off-trail hiking and bushwhacking, so participants must be in good physical condition. Participants must provide their own camping equipment (tent and sleeping bag) and should bring a lunch to eat on the trail both days. We will provide dinner Saturday and breakfast Sunday at the campsite (we will contact you ahead of time to accomodate any special dietary requirements). This program will be held in north-central Massachusetts, near the Quabbin Reservoir. This area is truly amazing in its biodiversity, and is surprisingly wild. We will be in the location where Nick saw his first Eastern Coyote in 1972, and which today is home to many animals, including an expanding population of Black Bear and Moose. Each visit here leads to many surprises, and our students and guests always find this to be a memorable experience.
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with Nick & Valerie Wisniewski
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Limit: 10 Fee: $125/person - includes camping fees and cost of food for Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast
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Track Patterns Intensive
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Saturday August 16 10 am - 4:00 pm
and Sunday August 17 10 am - 5:00 pm
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This class will be an in-depth study of animal track patterns. A thorough grasp of strides, trail widths, and gaits is essential for species identification, and is also a door into the world of deciphering and understanding animal behavior. We will spend the first portion of day one indoors in a classroom setting,viewing a presentation on the track patterns of our indigenous mammals, and then interactively discussing the basic gaits of our seven Orders of Mammals. During the afternoon we will be outdoors working on different labs to reinforce our knowledge. On day two, we will be indoors during the morning, covering track patterns in more depth, and we will spend the afternoon outdoors interpreting the puzzles that wild animals have left us in sand and mud.
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This class is a must for all levels of trackers, from beginners to experts. You will come away with a better understanding of track patterns and a greater appreciation for the ways our wild animals move. Hiking will be light to moderate and waterproof boots are recommended. A foam pad or waterproof cloth to kneel on will also be useful. The class will run rain-or-shine!
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This class will meet indoors at Walnut Hill Tracking & Nature Center in Orange, and we will carpool to the outdoor locations in the afternoons.
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with Valerie & Nick Wisniewski
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Limit: 12 Fee: $100/person
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Summer 2008 Black Bear Research Project
with Nick Wisniewski
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This field study course will be a unique opportunity for in-depth study of bear ecology through the observation of bear communication as exhibited in their marking behavior. Participants will work as research assistants, collecting and recording data and mapping the locations. Upon registering, information on data collection and Black Bear behavior will be mailed to you. On the way to and from the sites we will explore for new bear sign to add to our knowledge and understanding of these amazing animals.
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| Participants must be sensitive to the natural environment, and must be respectful of the animals whose sign we are studying. Limit: 6 per program Fee:$50/session. Students may participate in one or more sessions. $200 covers the cost of all seven sessions, allowing you to pick as many as fit into your schedule.
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| Locations and dates: |
| New Salem , Massachusetts, July 5 |
| Charlemont, Massachusetts, July 6 |
| Savoy, Massachusetts, July 26 |
| East Hartland, Connecticut, July 27 |
| Petersham, Massachusetts, August 2 |
| Granville, Massachusetts, August 3 |
| Heath, Massachusetts, August 9 |
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Limit: 6 per program Fee: $50/session. Students may participate in one or more sessions. $200 covers the cost of all seven sessions, allowing you to pick as many as fit into your schedule.
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| Prerequisites: Participation in the Summer 2006 or Summer 2007 research project, or the Black Bear program with John McCarter (see June 22nd), or attendance on a Bear program with Walnut Hill Tracking or Paul Rezendes in the past. Basic familiarity with Bear sign is assumed. The areas we are visiting are extremely sensitive, and care and respect must be shown. This program will be of special interest to conservation biology or environmental studies students, or to those who, like us, are fascinated with Black Bears.
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| Walnut Hill Tracking & Nature Center |
| Nick Wisniewski and Valerie Major, co-founders |
| Valerie Major began her life-long study of nature accompanying her father in the forests of Arkansas. She continued her training as a fifteen-year student and three-year apprentice with Paul Rezendes. She has taught outdoor skills to youth and adults for twenty-five years. Valerie keeps a link with her native heritage as a board member and teacher at the Eastern American Indian Cultural Center. Valerie encourages the spirit of inquiry and exploration through her primitive, experiential, teaching method. |
| Nick Wisniewski is an expert on animal tracks and sign. He was a long-term student and three-year apprentice of master tracker Paul Rezendes, with whom he maintains close personal ties. His on-going tracking projects include animal surveys for wildlife sanctuaries, and a multi-year effort to document Mountain Lion track and sign in southern New England. A life-long naturalist, he became fascinated by tracking in 1984 after encountering fresh Wolf scat and tracks while on an extended solo trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area in Minnesota. His passion is using animal tracking as a unifying method for nature study and exploration. |
| Special Guest Teachers |
| John McCarter was the senior staff instructor for Paul Rezendes Nature Programs, and has taught for many organizations throughout New England. He has been tracking wildlife for more than twenty years and is among the region's leading authorities on animal tracks and sign. John made the discovery of a lifetime when he found a Mountain Lion scat in the Quabbin Reservoir reservation in 1997, which has been dna-verified by two independent labs. |
| Bob Leverett is the East's premier interpreter of old growth forests and is credited with discovering many of the previously unrecognized ancient sites here in the northeast. Bob's expertise is unparalled and his opinion is highly sought by professional forest experts, conservation organizations, and the general public. His encyclopedic knowledge of trees and the forest is matched only by his infectious enthusiasm. He has discovered many places of majestic beauty in his search for "the monarchs of the forest." |
| Alcott Smith is an ecologist of the highest caliber and conducts research and leads field trips for many conservation organizations in New England. From his childhood he has maintained a lifelong commitment and unwavering allegiance to the indigenous fauna of northern New England. Beyond an active role in the perpetuity of endangered species, he revels in sharing his passion with others and excels in his ability to bring to life the relationship between our wild fauna and its habitat. |
| Kent Hicks uses his tracking skills to assist local and state authorities and search and rescue teams in locating lost and missing persons. He has trained Royal Canadian Mounted Police, FBI agents and other law enforcement personnel. Kent's tracking knowledge of humans and animals is unexcelled. An "un-sung" talent, he is considered by many trackers to be the region's leading expert on aging of tracks and sign. |
| Rob Leverett is a recognized expert in "primitive" tool making. Of Cherokee-Choctaw ancestry, he has taught many classes in schools throughout New England, as well as at Native American events. Rob possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of American indigenous people and their cultures and history. He has amazing skill in working with natural materials, and the objects he produces are literally beautiful works of art. He is an inspiring teacher, and his enthusiasm is contagious. |
| Bob Tremblay has been working as a professional outdoor guide since 1982, and has a B.A. and M.A. in Outdoor Adventure Education and Leadership. During his 20 years as an outdoor leader he has guided thousands of people on diverse outdoor adventures including backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, rock and ice climbing, and dog sledding. Bob loves to share his passion for the outdoors with others. |
| John Green is a reknowned naturalist and professional photographer. He has lived in Western Massachusetts for over thirty years and travels widely exploring and documenting nature with his awe-inspiring photography. We are honored to have him join our teaching staff! |
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Laura Sebastianelli
is an enthusiastic naturalist, educator, and Registered Maine Guide with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Laura, a Paul Rezendes tracking apprenticeship graduate, has extensive knowledge and experience in Maine’s Northwoods. She surveys Maine’s lynx population for Inland Fish and Wildlife , and searches for gray wolf for National Wildlife Federation.
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Tracking & Nature Center 
