Red Mountain Forum - Recently Updated Pages

Mentoring Resources

RedMountain — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:06:58 CDT

Teaching, learning, exploring and discovering, these resources are for helping us learn how to share the joy of nature, and find out what coyote mentoring is all about.

Resources

RedMountain — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:04:40 CDT

Here is a place for us to share resources like books, tapes, and even websites that help us connect with nature and wilderness skills.
Feel free to add any resources that you think are really great. To make it a little more organized, we have broken it down into a few categories which you can find on the tabs on the left hand side of the screen. Enjoy!

Field Guides, etc

RedMountain — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:03:52 CDT

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General Resources

RedMountain — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:03:21 CDT

Put resources in here that are great but dont fit into the other categories

Fun Stuff

RedMountain — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:01:24 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Red Mountain Forum Home

RedMountain — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:56:46 CDT

Welcome!

We were dreaming out loud the other day, thinking that it would be great if there was a place where we could go online and invite other local people to start recording our nature observations together. There are a few national forums which are great, but no place for people just locally....until now!

So, here it is!

This is a place for you to come and celebrate the spirit of wilderness awareness. Please share your observations of nature, tell us about your challenges and discoveries in wilderness skills, read and create announcements and generally connect with friends. This is a website that everyone can build together. And, it can bring us together. You are welcome to add to anything here. So, come and have fun!

If you would like to become a member of the site, we would love to have you join in, but you do not need to be a member in order to contribute.

Thank you for visiting this community forum. Once again, welcome and let us know if you have any suggestions!

--Sarah & gumby

Red Mountan Announcements

RedMountain — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:57:50 CDT

Here we will post announcements related to Red Mountain Programs, check this area for new updates on what we are up to. If you have related announcements that you would like to share with everyone here, you are welcome to add yours as well.

Please note that some of the announcements have their own page. Look to the left and you will see a drop down menu with a few of the most important announcements. Other announcements are listed on this page (below).

The posting visible below is the most recent thread. Look below it and click on the title of the previous postings to read them as well.

Samara Circle First Challenge

RedMountain — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:52:56 CDT

Welcome to the first steps in a very exciting adventure! We are glad that you are going to take the first step and we are here to help you!

Before you can enter Samara Circle, we will give you four levels of challenge. Once you have passed each level of challenge, then we will give you the next challenge. The first challenge is given below. The other three include; a challenge testing the depth of your naturalist skills, a physical challenge testing your primitive skills, and a challenge of your spirit.

If you ever need any help on any of the four levels of challenge, you can email gumby at: gumbysmail@gmail.com or call Sarah at: 919-923-1821.

Good Luck!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FIRST CHALLENGE

For this challenge,which we borrowed from Joseph Cornell's "Sharing Nature With Children",you will need to find a Secret Spot if you don't already have one.The best Secret Spots: A.) Are near a transition area where 2 habitats meet,like on the edge of a forest or field,or between a pine forest and a broadleaf forest. B.) Are near water,whether it's a pond,river,puddle,or even a dried-up wetland. C.) Are safe-avoid poisonous plants,venomous animals,high-crime neighborhoods,etc... D.) Offer privacy-this is YOUR area to feel safe and comfortable in. E.) Are CONVENIENT! You should be able to walk there in about 5 minutes.If it's not closeby,you probably won't go there very often.

If you can't find the perfect place nearby,don't sweat it! Just come as close as you can.The important thing is that you make the time to do it-regularly.Your Secret Spot can be your greatest teacher if you treat it like one. We'll help to teach you how. For now,though, just answer the questions in this exercise and remember to HAVE FUN!!!

To complete this challenge,you will need to print-out or hand-copy the "Explorer's Guide" exercises (below) and turn them in to us,along with the 2 objects you'll have to find for part G of the "Adventure Hunt" section of this exercise. See you at Challenge II !

Fill this out and send it back to us:
==========================================================================================================

Explorer's Guide

My journey to(give simple directions there):

Explorer(your name):

First Impressions

After choosing a Sit Spot,take time to wander around and just have fun.Then pick a comfortable spot where you can think about your place and answer these questions.

What are some of the first things you noticed about your site?

How do you feel being here?

Pick a name that suits your Sit Spot.You can change it later,if you think of something better.But naming it at the start will help you make it your own right away.
The name of my Sit Spot is:

A.Find the best view and give it a special name.Then sketch the view in this photo space.Imagine if a friend could see your drawing. Could they use the drawing just by itself to find your "best" view without any clues?

B.Find the best place to listen for nature sounds.Then,see how long it takes to hear at least five different natural sounds.See if you can figure out what is making the sounds.

Write down the sounds(and who made them):
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

C.Describe a bird's call or any other natural sound you hear,using words or letters.For example,the call of the Carolina Wren has been described as "Teakettle,teakettle,teakettle,tea!" or "Cheeseburger,cheeseburger,cheeseburger" and the sound of the Bullfrog as "Jug-o'-rum!".

The sound you heard:

Adventure Hunt

D.Find the oldest or most striking tree.Draw the tree and tell why it's unique.

E.Use your hands to find the warmest and coldest places.Also look for the wettest and driest sites.Can you find the windiest and calmest places?Make a simple map of your area and mark all these places on it.

F.Stop at different places.Close your eyes and focus your attention on the sense of smell.Find three different smells and describe them.See if you can figure out where they come from.
1)
2)
3)

G.Find something that:

1)Is small and has five or more colors

2)Makes you smile

The Poetry Of Your Site

Writing a poem is another way to become more aware of your site.Choose a favorite place and sit for a few minutes watching and enjoying.Notice how each sound,movement,texture,and color is different.Feel the special quality that each thing expresses.If you see a darting,swift-moving flock of birds,feel in your heart the joy of their flight.If you see a tree swaying in a light breeze,feel it's strength and gracefulness.Try writing a poem-you'll be surprised how easy it is.Your poem can take any form you'd like-a Haiku,it can rhyme or not-whatever speaks to your heart and INSPIRES you! Below is a suggestion of one style of poetry,but remember,you're poem can look any way you'd like!

Vertical Poem
Choose a word that captures the feeling of the place you've chosen.Then use each letter of the word to begin a line of your poem.Now write the word you've chosen,with one letter on each line.Then use each letter to begin a line of your poem.

Now write about some way that you have given thanks for your Sit Spot. Did you leave a gift there for all of the beauty and music that you've discovered there? Did you say a quiet prayer to yourself as you sat there? Tell us the way that you've chosen to give something back to your Sit Spot. Once you've written this,you have completed the first challenge! Congratulations!

A Note from Sarah

RedMountain — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:39:08 CDT

First of all, I am happy to report that Red Mountain finished its fiscal year in the black. That is thanks to all of your support and many donations from people across this community. It has been no small feat to launch an endeavor like this one and we are grateful for everything that you have done to help us complete our second year of programs successfully. We are looking towards this coming year with excitement and with a lot of fresh ideas.

That said, the insurance and general operating costs for running the programs independently are very heavy for a small organization like ours, and we are investigating alternatives that will help us continue to provide the same powerful programs while keeping the operating costs reasonable. So we are currently looking into the option of partnering with other local organizations so that we can bring our annual operating costs down. We will keep you posted as we explore the possibilities.

In the meantime, your support will help us move forward. Last year, almost half our our overhead costs were paid by generous donations from community members. This year, we are hoping for your continued support so that we can continue offering these programs that inspire people to come closer to the natural world.

All around us, as gumby and I look at some of the students that we have known and worked with over the years, we are inspired to see so much momentum, so much growth and so much active learning. We are often amazed at the efficacy and power that nature mentoring effects in all of us. We can not help but look forward to the future with excitement.

As always, thank you for supporting us to do the work that we love, and for supporting the students to become so deeply immersed in the natural world. We could not do this without you!

As the autumn approaches, we are entering our third year of programming. Lets make this year count.

Blessings,
Sarah

Sit Spot Forum

RedMountain — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:57:04 CDT

Join us here and tell us what you are noticing at your sit spot. This is also a place to share your general nature observations, stories, and creative inspirations!

To add a posting, just look below where it says threads for this page and start a new thread. You can also comment on other threads. Please share your discoveries and your nature experiences.