smoky mountains

Hazards: Following Fears, Gaining Awareness

A deep need for humans is outdoor safety, the maintenance of life, and limb. This is a powerful connecting force with the rest of life! From the sparrow fleeing the hawk, to the caterpillar hiding from the wasp, all creatures share a desire to avoid dangers or hazards. If you hook up electrodes to measure […]

Posted in Birds & Bird Language, Core Routines, KamanaTagged , , , ,

Feeding Wild Birds

Feeding wild birds doesn’t have to be expensive but once you start you should not stop feeding during the winter, once the birds become used to your feeding stations. You can stop feeding in the spring once insects and other fruits become available. Once most people start feeding wild birds, they don’t want to stop […]

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east shield

East – Inspiration

Imagine for a moment that first day of spring, when you wake up in the morning and the sun is rising in the east, the new green plants and shoots are emerging from the earth. The lovely songbirds have returned from their winter migration and are singing in the bushes outside your house. This is […]

Posted in 8 ShieldsTagged , , ,
dad and daughter outside

Daddy Awareness

I still remember very clearly the first 24 hours after my first daughter was born. All of the reality seemed lit by an incredible light, and I felt like a different person. I remember dropping my wife and our newborn Katie off at the house and then getting ready to rush to the grocery store. […]

Posted in Core Routines, Kamana, MentoringTagged , , , , ,
coyote

Come to Your Senses

Look straight ahead and imagine that your eyeballs cannot move, like the owl’s eyes. Sitting absolutely still in its tree perch, the owl stares and sees 180 degrees in all directions. It puts its mind on “off” and just gazes. This patient expectant open gaze is the way to look at the sky when you […]

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Bird Wings – What’s on a Wing?

For those of us who pursue the mysteries of feathers, and bird wings, questions are numerous and answers are hard to come by. Even a seemingly simple question such as, “Who dropped this feather?” can be a daunting one. With over 900 bird species living in the United States and Canada, it is hard to […]

Posted in Birds & Bird Language, Wildlife and TrackingTagged , , , ,
sparrow in the autumn

The Season of Zugunruhe

A Redstart gleams glossy black and is gone. Kinglets trickle past me, their high calls scattering south. Bird migration is in full swing. The birds may be finding their way by seeing the magnetic fields of the earth by virtue of magnetite crystals in their brains, internal compasses that let them perceive magnetism as we […]

Posted in Birds & Bird Language, Scientific MusingsTagged , , , , , , ,
windy day

The Beaufort Scale

Have you ever wondered how to tell what the wind speed is? Below is a useful scale that you can use simply through your observations. This can be really handy if you are trying to keep track of the weather on a regular basis.  The Beaufort Scale can be used to help estimate the wind […]

Posted in Kamana, Scientific MusingsTagged , , , , , ,
camo eye

The Immersion Blog – Winter Guild Week – The Way of the Scout

During Guild Weeks at The Immersion students can choose from a variety of passion-based skills, such as entering the mind of a Scout. This past week I had the awesome opportunity to participate in three amazing days of training in “the ways of the scout”. The scout is a member of any tribe who acts […]

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Awareness Games

I’m writing today to share some fun games that you can play with your family! Sherlock Game You can support your family’s awareness skills by asking them about the details of their environment. Maybe a person walking a dog passes you on a trail; you can then ask your child questions about their clothing, their […]

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Wilderness Awareness School