w - North House Folk School

Owl In A Night’s Work:Evening Field Sessionwith Bill Lane3/29/134/5/13Each spring, Minnesota’s north woods come alive withthe songs and calls of several species of northern forestowls. For the past 26 years, Bill Lane has immersedhimself in the nocturnal acoustical landscape, eager todocument yet another “owl spring.” “This will be anadventure of either arduous, or lazy proportions (comeon winter!),” Lane says. “On an ideal night, we may visitcourting owls and watch and listen as the cogs of owlreproduction whir to life. On a less than ideal night,you will be stuck with me for 5 hours” (Bill has extensiveknowledge of the northern forest and is generallyan entertaining guy, so it’s not as bad as it may sound).Participants are asked to be physically able to walk/snowshoethrough deep snows, and to adapt to both the chillof night and the heat of physical exertion as they movewith celerity towards singing owls. This is an opportunityfor aesthetic overload and if you haven’t experiencedimmersion in the night, there is no better opportunity forintroduction.length (days) 1 hours 5:30pm-11pmtuition $75 early bird tuition (6+ wks in advance) $65materials includedSpring Birdsong Ensemblewith Ann Russ5/18/13Spring is a wonderful time to experience the sounds,smells, and sights of the boreal forest. Not only are birdsbursting forth with territorial songs, rivers are overflowing,the forest is flowering, and pungent smells abound.The aim of this workshop is to discover some of thisdelightful diversity, hone observation skills, and producea creative musical ensemble response. During moderatemorning hikes you’ll learn to recognize birds bysong, sight, and habitat, and explore other boreal springdelights. In the afternoon become part of a musicalensemble as we make a creative response to our morningobservations using percussion instruments from aroundthe world. All levels of experience are welcome.length (days) 1 hours 7am-4pmtuition $75 early bird tuition (6+ wks in advance) $65materials $10age with adult 12+Bird & Wildlife PhotographynewGardening for Butterflies and other PollinatorsWhat’s This Rock? Unravelingthe Geologic Story ofMinnesota’s North Shorewith Jim Miller5/31/13-6/2/13How many times have you walked along a cobbled beachor a rocky ledge along the North Shore and wondered:What’s this rock? Where did it come from? Why is ithere? And Lake Superior agates – What do they looklike? Where do I find them? How do they form? Thisis your opportunity to not only have those questionsanswered by an expert on North Shore geology, but toalso learn some basic observational tools that will helpyou identify many rocks along the shore and understandthe story that they tell. After an introductory lecture onthe first evening, the remainder of the course will be inthe field along the North Shore. We will examine volcanicrocks that tell the dramatic story of spectacular lavaeruptions that spilled across a vast barren landscape overone billion years ago. We will also investigate sedimentsand landforms created by enormous continental glaciersthat have intermittently filled the Lake Superior basinover the past two million years.length (days) 2.5hours Day 1: 5-8pm Day 2: 9am-5pm Day 3: 9am-2pmtuition $185 early bird tuition (6+ wks in advance) $175materials includedage with adult 10+Wildflowers & Plantsof Early Summerwith Jim Gilbert6/1/13-6/2/13Wildflowers are an important part of our natural and culturalheritage, a heritage that provides colorful outdoorenjoyment and intriguing ecological perspectives. Of the1,700 species of flowering plants that grow wild in Minnesota,about one-quarter might be considered wildflowers.What makes a wild plant a wildflower? It dependsupon its appearance, where it grows, and who sees it. Arose is a rose unless you decide it’s a weed. Both daysof coursework start at North House and visit multipledestinations. We will hike to a variety of field sites toidentify wildflowers, enjoy their beauty and discuss theirimportance in the natural environment. The emphasiswill be on wildflowers, but we will identify and discussother spring plants as well.length (days) 2hours Day 1: 1pm-5pm; Day 2: 11am-3pmtuition $120 early bird tuition (6+ wks in advance) $110materials $5age with adult 12+Sustainable Harvest of Birch Bark: Gather Your Ownmore details, more photos: www.northhouse.org 32888-387-9762