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devohoneybee at 06:53pm on 07/08/2011
devohoneybee at 06:53pm on 07/08/2011I just came back from a weekend workshop in Cuba, New Mexico with a group called The Tracking Project. www.thetrackingproject.org
The Tracking Project is the brain, heart, and soul-child of John Stokes, who was trained by Australian Aboriginal trackers, and has studied with trackers, medicine people, and elders from North American Native tribes, South America, and Hawaii. The workshop I attended was co-led by Joel Glanzberg, who taught us about patterns in natural systems.
This workshop was profound, moving, and informative. Both Stokes and Glanzberg impart a wealth of knowledge while maintaining an easygoing storytelling style with a lot of humor, taking their subjects seriously without taking themselves seriously. These guys are the real deal, and managed to convey a very deep sense of what is going on in the world.
A few high points included walking into the woods and learning the very beginnings of tracking. We were blessed to be there just after rains, which meant tracks were pretty clear in what had been mud a day or two ago. We found tracks of elk, deer, bear, a neighbor's donkey, coyote, ground squirrel, and rabbit.
Joel shared information about how natural systems work, and the level of complexity needed to really understand how any part of it works. One example: Re-introducing wolves to Yellowstone caused a drop in the temperature of the rivers. How? Without predators, the prey animals tended to hang out at the watering hole and overgraze. Overgrazing altered the way the river runs, and how much overgrowth provided shade, raising the temp. With the wolves back, the prey animals behave as they should -- becoming more wary, drinking then returning to safety. The river plants were restored, as was the coolness of the river, impacting fish as well as countless other elements of the ecosystem.
Each day was opened with blessings of thanksgiving for the people, the waters, the animals, the winds, and all elements of creation. I came away feeling refreshed, settled, and inspired.
The Tracking Project is the brain, heart, and soul-child of John Stokes, who was trained by Australian Aboriginal trackers, and has studied with trackers, medicine people, and elders from North American Native tribes, South America, and Hawaii. The workshop I attended was co-led by Joel Glanzberg, who taught us about patterns in natural systems.
This workshop was profound, moving, and informative. Both Stokes and Glanzberg impart a wealth of knowledge while maintaining an easygoing storytelling style with a lot of humor, taking their subjects seriously without taking themselves seriously. These guys are the real deal, and managed to convey a very deep sense of what is going on in the world.
A few high points included walking into the woods and learning the very beginnings of tracking. We were blessed to be there just after rains, which meant tracks were pretty clear in what had been mud a day or two ago. We found tracks of elk, deer, bear, a neighbor's donkey, coyote, ground squirrel, and rabbit.
Joel shared information about how natural systems work, and the level of complexity needed to really understand how any part of it works. One example: Re-introducing wolves to Yellowstone caused a drop in the temperature of the rivers. How? Without predators, the prey animals tended to hang out at the watering hole and overgraze. Overgrazing altered the way the river runs, and how much overgrowth provided shade, raising the temp. With the wolves back, the prey animals behave as they should -- becoming more wary, drinking then returning to safety. The river plants were restored, as was the coolness of the river, impacting fish as well as countless other elements of the ecosystem.
Each day was opened with blessings of thanksgiving for the people, the waters, the animals, the winds, and all elements of creation. I came away feeling refreshed, settled, and inspired.