Naturalist Training Program:
Reading the landscape

Naturalist Training Program, 2021
April 10-November 20, one meeting each month
Various field locations within 1.5 hours of Portland
  -schedule and locations listed at the bottom of this page-
The Naturalist Training Program is a series of 8 classes, running spring through fall, designed to give you a wide variety of skills to make you feel at home in the natural world.
  • 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.

topics covered


​TRACKING AND WILDLIFE
  • Track Identification: Identify clear and subtle tracks, from large mammals to small rodents and birds.
  • Gaits, Track Patterns, and Interpretation: Identify different gaits and trail patterns and learn what they can tell you about an animal's activity.
  • Sign Tracking: Identify the myriad of evidence that animals leave behind besides their tracks.
  • Mammal behavior and ecology: Learn what mammals are found in the area, their taxonomy, general habitat, diet, and lifestyle.
  • Amphibians and reptiles: Learn the common amphibians and reptiles of this region.

​BOTANY
  • Plant identification: Learn to identify the trees and important plants of the area and learn the nomenclature and taxonomy that will help you identify new species in the future.
  • Wild plant foraging: Learn common edible plants and how to forage both safely and ethically.
  • Indicator species: Learn what plants can tell you about the environment.

​ECOLOGY - THE BIG PICTURE
  • Habitat: Understand the concept of a habitat and be able to recognize the common habitats types in the Cascades and greater Portland area.
  • Elevation gradients: Recognize the different forest zones in the Cascades and understand how elevation, rainfall, and temperature affect what trees, shrubs, and wildlife live there.
  • Forest ecology: Understand the concepts of forest succession and shade tolerance, see common insects and diseases and how they affect the forest, see the role of fire, and learn to interpret the history of a stand.

​TOOLS TO BE OUT IN NATURE
  • Navigation: Learn to use a map and compass, and how to navigate off-trail using terrain features to guide your way.
  • Wilderness safety: Learn what your priorities are in a survival situation, how to build a fire, and the common hazards of being in the forest.

Program schedule

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.
NOTE: The first class in the series may be held online, to help limit the spread of COVID-19. If this happens, this first class will be a systematic coverage of important background information, to give you a solid knowledge base for the remaining classes.
  • Introduction to Plant Identification and Animal Tracking  | April 10 
    Oxbow Regional Park
  • Plant Foraging | May 15
    Mt. Hood National Forest, exact location TBD based on access and fire damage
  • Navigation and Awareness | June 19
    Mt. Hood National Forest, exact location TBD based on access and fire damage
  • Sign Tracking and Animal Behavior | July 17
    Near Carson, WA 
  • Forest Ecology | Aug 21
    Mt. Hood National Forest, Cast Creek Trail
  • Conifer Identification, Wilderness Survival | Sept 18
    Mt. Hood National Forest, Little John Sno Park
  • Animal Tracking  | Oct 16
    Sauvie Island
  • Snow Tracking, Interpreting Gaits and Trail Patterns, Winter Plant Identification | Nov 20​
    Mt. Hood National Forest, exact location weather dependent

program cost

Cost is $500 for the series. 
Current Cascadia Wild volunteers: cost for the series is $400. When registering, use the promo code CaWVolunteer20percentoff
NOTE: we are not offering standalone classes for the Naturalist Training Program at this time.
Contact us to register for the full series with a monthly payment plan.
If you are interested in individual classes, see all our current classes.