The Robin Knows: A New Bird Language Book Project

Back in 2000 or so, a number of us gathered at Gary Riekes’ forest retreat. We called this place “The Riekes Field Station”. We holed up there for about 6 weeks and worked on a book concept teaching bird language. Back then, we thought it should be divided between story/narrative and field guide/technique. It was a struggle.

Coyote’s Guide 2nd edition is off to the presses here in the next couple of days. With any luck there will an “E-version” of Coyote’s Guide, and soon. I want you all to see how beautiful this second edition is. Deb Winters led the charge (and continues to) with a very competent team. Despite many setbacks, it’s on its way. You know, that book is now almost 600 pages. That’s amazing.

The first try at bird language was nearly 700 pages too. That was in Word, and on 8.5 x 11 paper. So, I cannot imagine what we would have had if we finished that project then.

Almost two years ago, I was speaking in Fairfax. Mia Andler set up a talk for the local Permaculture group, Sustainable Fairfax. Someone in the neighborhood stopped in, and heard me speak. Bonnie approached me that night and asked who my agent was for publishing and speaking. Well, there was no agent.

So, the rest is hard work, many drafts and history. Now, there’s a short video on this project, and I hope you can go watch the video and let me know what you think! The Robin Knows is the name of the book project and the short video this time, and it promises to be all narrative non-fiction, though instructional at it’s core. It’s really about a journey. I am working with a great team, including some of the folks from back in 2000. Dan Gardoqui is doing the science research with me, and Mike Bryan has helped bring the writing forward to this point. It’s coming along!

Looking for Wet Weasels

Here’s a short entry, more later…

It all begins with a nice walk from the parking lot to Abbott’s Lagoon at Point Reyes National Seashore. At what point do we want to start tracking? That’s a big challenge at Native Eyes. What if everywhere you look, there’s something to track, something to watch? That is the case here for sure. The bird language was constant and really engaging the entire day long for me. The ground was littered with track and sign. The local landscapes were breathtaking up close and into the distance. So much to see. Here are a few photos.

I am walking backwards here for a moment so the picture can be taken. Nature connection starts early for Finchy. He’s about 7  months old here. This was last Wednesday.

Finch is so content just exploring, touching, listening, watching, feeling wind through his fingers. He’s utterly instinctive in his core routines of nature connection–as all my children have been since this age. In fact, I have yet to meet a baby who ISN’T totally ready to connect. It’s about our culture’s response to this… That’s what we have to make up for isn’t it?

Wish I didn’t get my finger in the way. Here’s an almost 3 and an older girl doing what comes naturally. They bond, they play, they talk out loud to “each other” but pay no attention to matching the monologues. These are parallel worlds of imagination sharing a common field and instinct to just be, to play, to connect with the sand. The edge of the sea is one of the very best places to let children just be. And the adults too!

There is something for everyone here.

These sparrows were with us through the day. Their presence was really somehow very comforting. Maybe it’s because their cousins back east were always by my sit spot in winter when it otherwise felt quiet and lonely. The landscape is a tapestry of their calls, and those of wrentits, towhees, and by the water, the wren and song sparrow.

Sketching the marks of a wet weasel with a big appetite.

This is the place where the otters like to come up out of the water, leave their sign, roll and read the bulletin board. You can see the place in the vegetation where there is negative space. This is part of a watery run that the otters use between the fresh water lake and the brackish lagoon. The sand is wet where they recently came from the water to mark and roll. The sand showed us the lines caused by their fur in their body prints.

Happy Veteran’s Day

Hi. For some reason, something didn’t work and my post for today is down below the scat article. Please scroll down and enjoy your day. Think of those who have given their sacrifice to look after those who cannot look after themselves. J

Happy Veteran’s Day

Ooops. For some reason my post from this morning is down below two articles…

The Badger-Hintern Update

Quick gratitude to Hans-Joerg for ‘editing’ our title. Suggesting and upgrade in the translation.

Today at Native Eyes this is what I heard,

A group of folks were up on the east ridge above the farm. When they came upon skunk tracks entering into what appeared to some as a badger burrow. Some discussion emerged as to whether or not there were badgers here. Well just literally a moment later…

“Hey (from Andreas) this earth is really fresh.” while looking at a freshly dug throw mound from a burrow in the West Marin County hills of Point Reyes National Seashore (see Google Earth–It’s BAD).

Robin stopped and came back, looked into the burrow and said,

“Whoa, the earth is MOVING. Do you see that?”

Then the fellers at Native Eyes looked into the hole and saw a badger’s butt. Andreas tried to take pictures, but there was a shadow. “Hey! Who’s making this f…. shadow.”

So that’s the report! They saw a FRESH badger dig today. The funny thing about that is that it was actually Andreas’s shadow. This is according to an anonymous Native Eyes instructor who witnessed the whole event!!!
Oh, and there seems to be lots of disagreement as to whose shadow it was. The heat of the moment and all that.

That’s so great. Priceless really. Now. Matt Berry led the gang today in the making of pitch sticks for sealing bark containers that hold water. They made the sticks on green stems of willow with poo (goat and rabbit) and pitch from stone and gray pines. Cool. Love Matt. Really LOVE Native Eyes. Now onto cooking Brattwurst on open fires…

Tonight the group at RDNA affirmed its commitment to a core process around a) finding our center to access our best creativity (and awareness) and helping each other to do the same; b) communicating from the place describe in “a)” especially when a topic is charged, bringing feedback directly to folks who need to hear it; and c) working towards consensus as much as possible (even agreeing to disagree–working for the good of the group).

We looked at culture as a container to store and pass on learnings from regions between generations–and to build connections. Great day really.

This is a Fun Mystery

You know that I was raised from the age of 10 as a tracker, right? Well, okay, then can you pardon me ONE scat mystery? We always get around to this kind of thing as trackers eventually. Jennifer from Native Eyes (she has a great blog by the way), brought this to me and asked some questions that got my attention. There is chewed up tiny grass bits (it’s mostly made up of that), then there are two whole rabbit scat pellets, and then there is some rabbit hair.

Can you make a guess? What’s going on with this? This was found at Gazos Creek State Beach.

November 11, 2009 Happy Veteran’s Day

Sending greetings on this Veteran’s Day and remembering that many people have sacrificed so much to make life possible for others. Remembering the Veteran’s…

We are heading out for “wet weasels” today. The Native Eyes crew is learning today about tracking river otters. The RDNA Essentials and Cultural Mentoring folks are working installing a rain harvesting system. We will all meet up in Point Reyes for stories and meals. Then, back to Commonweal Gardens tonight for a session on cultural mentoring and how good ways of peace are woven into form a basket of support for people.

Again, if you have not seen this, check out the video I posted last week:

Here’s a new piece on Bird Language for you to watch. Check out www.birdlanguage.com for more!

Bird Language with Jon Young

The Anake Outdoor School Formerly Wilderness Awareness Residential Program

A quick note to let folks know that I am now in Washington State, currently Redmond at the Wholefoods. I am sitting with Marcus Reynerson, Core Instructor for the Anake Outdoor School. We are on our way to Duvall, foothills of the Cascades, to share some good times and teachings with that gang at Malalo Ya Chui. I know, that’s a mouthful. It’s Ingwe for “the lair of the leopard”, and a Sacred Fire for the Wilderness Awareness School community.

More later. But for now, Marcus says “Hi, and Happy Fall”. So do I!

Quick note from me at 37,000 feet. Just landed and am on my way…

Have really enjoyed working with everyone at the Regenerative Design Institute, Riekes Nature and other community organizations in our region over the past years, and really appreciate our relationships and family spirit. Peacemaking has really helped us all so much—and the many others we collectively influence. Now, I know we all can feel that we are being called to such a bigger arena and it’s getting challenging to keep up. The writing is now on the wall for a VERY busy next couple of years! Busy doing what we all believe in and care about, so that’s helpful and exciting.

Hoping that Ghost Supper at RDNA was really good last night. I had some heart-felt tears with Tama, and Bear & JB at the fire, talking to my ancestors and my dear friends and Uncles/Aunties. Life is short, and rich. While Josh drove me to SJC in his new car (he got it two days ago), we were able to have a “Ghost Drive”—I played all the songs from the iPod (in my phone) that were by people that have passed on, and songs that reminded us of folks that have passed on. In this way we listened (and my eyes filled with tears) and honored Bill Monroe, Gilbert Walking Bull, Ingwe, my relatives, Mac Stewart, Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements, Lynyrd Skynyrd band members, John Lennon and more. My heart and thoughts are with you all while you celebrate Ghost Supper tonight with RDNA.

In Washington, I will do the same with the Anake Outdoor School (our Sistah program, formerly called Wilderness Awareness Residential Program). They renamed it to honor Ingwe. That will help our ancestor honoring as we sit by Ingwe’s Sacred Fire called Malalo Ya Chui and send our thoughts down south to you all at your Sacred Fires.

Cincinnati Region of Ohio Hosts Nature Mentoring & Peacemaking

This past weekend found me flying through Houston to Northern Kentucky, and onto Cincinnati where I met up with Dr. Randall Eaton. His newest book, From Boys to Men of Heart, is just released and I joined my good friend to celebrate his excellent work. Here’s a great link to a review on Randall’s book and at the bottom of the review is contact information. We enjoyed a nice lunch and then drove together to Rowe Woods where our conference would be held. As Randall drove off Friday afternoon, I sat on the porch of the Retreat House there and listened to the soft rain dripping from leaves, the spring peepers that sounded here and there, and the Carolina wren noisily communicating with one another. The incredibly rich scent of the forest invoked powerful memories from my childhood wanders, turning over logs in the wet hardwood forests of spring in search of salamanders. The fall colors are beautiful on a misty day. The event hosts soon arrived. These good folks are associated with Ogichi Daa Kwe women’s camp, and Camp Kooch-i-ching, and the Camping & Education Foundation: Kathy Dix, Campbell, John & Mike Jolly, and Melynda Roscoe. Julianne did an amazing job of selecting, hauling (emptying her own house!), and setting up a homey ambiance at the Retreat House. I caught up on some work. We were meeting at Rowe Woods…

Rowe Woods was founded In 1965, a handful of dedicated and visionary naturalists, including Stanley M. Rowe Sr., Karl H. Maslowski, Kay Benedict, Helen Black, Katherine T. Nyce, and some other people. Creating a organization where people could experience, study and enjoy the natural world. Cincinnati Nature Center’s original site, Rowe Woods in Milford, Ohio, was the physical location for this new organization. Rowe Woods Photo Gallery.

For this gathering, I was invited to help share some teachings and lead some experiences at the Ogichi Daa Kwe Fall Retreat that was held through the Cincinnati Nature Center’s Rowe Wood’s property. Offered to folks in their network as “a rare opportunity of learning for educators, camp staff, parents and all who want to take wilderness awareness and mentoring beyond the classroom and text books”, I think we lived up to that description. This was a really great group of people with deep experience collectively in nature connection through a variety of backgrounds and roles. Lots of family energy too which made it extra special.

“Jon Young will incorporate Wilderness Awareness, Coyote Mentoring and Peacemaking in a 2-day workshop at the Cincinnati Nature Center, where we will immerse ourselves in the surrounding beauty of SW Ohio’s hardwood forests.”

Peacemaking & Nature Connection

As I shared with the participants: “…sometimes we teach weekends on Peacemaking,and sometimes we teach weekends on Nature Connection.” It was really special to bring those topics together, and one young woman’s perspective on how nature helps her to feel her best brought these topics together. Sky Young Sparrow Pope once said to a group of us at RDNA that nature connection was her primary relationship. Through this she was in touch with the Creator. Then she would be able to be her best for others.

We are left with this understanding: Nature connection, as a foundation, builds a sense of well-being in us that is equal to “Peace” with respect to Peacemaking: Peace, Good Message and Unity. If we are feeling really peaceful and connected, we can be at our best to choose our best words, and match them with our best intentions. This makes the “good message” come more naturally. When we approach communication in this way, we are more often able to reach a feeling of consensus or unity with others.

More from the letter sent to the retreat’s invitees:

A little about Coyote Mentoring from Jon Young’s book Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature:

“By naming Coyote as our guide, we challenge everyone to break out of old habits of awareness and to see wild nature and its elements with fresh eyes. We call out loudly and brightly for a re-imagination of how to learn natural history and how to understand the ecological web we are a part of. We use our voice to cry out from the wilderness for myth and play to merge with facts and science. Why? So people can once again really, holistically, know their place. We seek to bring health not only to human beings of all ages, but also to the earth itself, by reminding ourselves of our kinship with it.”

I was really thinking about this with people during our retreat. We talked a lot about how the goal of nature connection is actually really different than the goal of information transfer. The work of Michael Cohen and Project Nature Connect came up as Marcia shared wisdom gained from research and experience concerning sensory awareness (and the 53 senses that Michael identifies in his research). We discussed the connections that form between ourselves and through attentive recognition to all we consciously and intentionally take in through our senses, and how important it is to use ALL the senses as much as possible. We must overcome the patterning of our own learning and connection histories.

“Guiding like Coyote requires that you get to know the people you mentor. You have to watch carefully for what will capture their curiosity, engage their natural gifts, and challenge them in ways they can handle in their personal learning journey. Look for their edges: the edge of their comfort zone, the edge of their awareness, the edge of their knowledge, the edge of their experience. Then you can stretch and pull them to a new edge, and then another, deeper and deeper into a sense of comfort and kinship with the wildness of the natural world.”

This was truly the center of our discussions and experience this past weekend, as groups headed out to find new things together, and shared their stories back with one another in dynamic and multi-sensory presentations. Creativity was evoked and celebrated. The art of village-based questioning (based on authentic curiosity) emerged for all to experience. Storytelling took us from the beginning of time into the next two hundred years.

We all left with new friendships, deepened relationships with old friends and family, and a renewed sense of hope and fun!

Randall Eaton came in on the last day, Sunday, before lunch. He shared some stories and visionary research from his life and book From Boys to Men of Heart and brought us all to tears.  Randall paints a very different possibility for what hunting could become (again) if our current American hunting tradition could become heart-based and attuned to the sacredness of all life, and if hunting could be again based on real cultural support, tears, sensitivity to animals and nature, mentoring nature connection and above all honor and gratitude. The heart must come back into hunting. Randy signed books for folks and we all ate yet another great meal and headed out our separate ways.

Julianne has set a new world record for making a space feel really inviting and homey.

Special thanks to Kathy, Melynda and Campbell for putting this together and inviting all of us to part of this event.

Wrapping Up Austria Event

The Altar of Tirol as seen from Ron & Geli’s in Grinzens, with a “hat” meaning good weather.(Photo courtesy of Geli Bachmann).

The Altar of Tirol with a “sword”, not such a good sign for weather. (Photo: Geli Bachmann).

Willa, Nicole, Jon & Finch Young on the last day of the community event in the Alps.

On Saturday, October 17th, we wrapped up the community gathering near Innsbruck, on Patschekoeffel. Really wonderful closing shared by myself, the staff there in Austria from Ron & Geli Bachmann’s program in Tirol, and lots of folks from around Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United States.

Jon, Finch & Ron Bachmann.

We had a truly stellar team working with Mark Morey, myself, my wife Nicole Young, Kathleen Lockyer and Will Scott.

Mark, Finch, Aji, Liam, JY & Willa all at the Innsbruck (bridge over the river Inn)

The closing was very moving. Songs were sung to remember and honor Mac Stewart’s passing, and the remembering the Sacred Fire held last June in Tirol by many of the folks there this time too. Kathleen, Mac’s partner, shared some very touching words. We sang some important songs.

Here’s the group of locals who are all alumni, staff, friends, family and supporters of Natur & Wildnisschule der Alpen.

Touching moments shared, JY, Willa and translator Kirsten Segler

Grinzens as seen from the opposite side of the very, very steep and deep valley!

Time to Localize Some & to Remember Mac Stewart

After we wrapped up on Patschekoeffel and said our farewells, it was off to soak in the warm pool and sauna in Axams, catch our breath and head to Ron & Geli’s home in Grinzens. With help from our dear friend Armin Wirth from Germany. Thanks Armin.

We paid a visit to a special location, an ancient altar and offering site near Grinzens where we laid some of Mac Stewart’s ashes to remember the Sacred Fire for him in Tirol, led by this family from Grinzens, the Bachmanns.

Nicole, Finch & Kathleen walk to the special place for Mac’s ashes.

Opposite the place we chose for Mac, above Sellrain, looking out to the “Altar of Tirol” not visible today.

You can’t believe how steep this land is where people have been living for a long, long time. This barn is really old and so precariously perched! That’s Sam in the foreground. His parents are Birgit and Frank who are so helpful and supportive of our work in Germany and Austria. They live in Germany on the Baltic Sea.

Ron points (and so do I in yellow) to his family home in Grinzens opposite this side of the valley.

Ron, JY & Finch.

Kathleen, we are thinking of you Mac.

We all voiced to the valley towards Sellrain the Mountain Honoring Yodel.

Innsbruck Central.

The Next Stop: The Sacred Tree in Innsbruck
From the high, holy place, we traveled to Innsbruck to find the sacred tree at the center of the seven sacred mountains of Tirol. Here we visited the old central village area of Innsbruck, ate, explored and finally walked to the park where the tree lives.

Liam & Willa, Innsbruck.

The Sacred Tree (AT) in the background, crouching in front is Sam (DE), left to right is Mark (US), Kathleen (US), Jonah (DE), Birgit (DE), Frank (DE), Finch (US), Liam in tree (US), JY (US), Willa (US), Nicole (US), Aji behind by Liam (US), Milan (AT) and Ron (AT).

Near here we had another ceremony for Mac and we sang to this tree. This was a really beautiful day, and a truly wonderful, healing and connecting way to spend time with deepening friends and family.

We had a great time in Austria. We flew to the states again on the 19th and said farewell to the northeast contingent. Nicole, Willa, Finch, me and Kathleen headed on to California the next day. I was home for a day, off to the RDNA (Regenerative Design & Nature Awareness) program at Commonweal Gardens in Bolinas. Shared a BIT of the trip, very little really. We debriefed a bird sit, and saw some really great concentric rings from various raptors in the area. So much going on now on the coast of California for raptors. Really exciting. Flew yesterday (Thursday), off to Cincinnati to lead a gathering on nature connection and mentoring. The quote from the Ogichi Daa Kwe Fall Retreat page says “Wilderness Awareness, Coyote Mentoring and Peacemaking in a 2-day workshop at the Cincinnati Nature Center.”

This event is being held at the Rowe Woods Retreat House. Really special place. Here until Sunday. Flying home to California Monday. It’s ancestor honoring week at RDNA next week where I will take part in the offering of an ancestor honoring feast on Tuesday, and also later that week again at the Anake Outdoor School of Wilderness Awareness School. I will be there Wednesday of next week through Friday. Looking forward to resting with family after all of this!