Wolf Journey Book One – The Neighborhood Naturalist leads you into Urban & Rural Habitat Conservation on a path to becoming your neighborhood naturalist.
All ages are welcome on the journey. Start by finding a study site in Chapter One, where you will carry out your chapter lessons throughout the course. Each time you visit your study site, you will walk more intimately within the landscape.
By the time you complete the course – no matter what age you may be – you’ll have become a key resource for the natural world in your community, and likely the go-to expert on habitat conservation in your neighborhood.
Table of Contents: The Neighborhood Naturalist
Starting the Journey
Cover Artwork by Joanna Colbert: The Sun
Part I – Experiencing, Researching & Documenting Your Study Site
Chapter 1 Intro: Creating A Study Site
Experience 1A: Finding Your Peaceful Place
Experience 1B: Capturing The Moment
Experience 1C: Mapping Your Study Square
Experience 1D: Appreciating Site Characteristics
Chapter 2 Intro: Sensory Awareness Skills
Experience 2A: The Survival Breath & Peripheral Vision
Experience 2B: Deer Ears & Bear Nose
Experience 2C: Snake Taste & Raccoon Hands
Experience 2D: Exploring With All Your Senses
Chapter 3 Intro: Fears & Risk Management
Experience 3A: Exploring Fears
Experience 3B: Assessing Risks
Experience 3C: Mitigating Risks
Experience 3D: Trusting Your Place
Chapter 4 Intro: Water, Weather, Skies & Climate
Experience 4A: Watching, Assessing & Adjusting Water
Experience 4B: Experiencing, Researching & Mitigating Wind
Experience 4C: Observing & Documenting the Celestial Bodies
Experience 4D: Tracking & Sharing Your Climate & Weather
Chapter 5 Intro: Minerals, Geology & Historical Features
Experience 5A: Finding & Researching Your Mineral
Experience 5B: Identifying & Manipulating Your Mineral
Experience 5C: Researching & Discovering Your Geology
Experience 5D: Sharing & Reflecting on Your Geology
Part II – Experiencing, Researching & Documenting the Stationary Species
Chapter 6: Your Fungus, Algea, or Lichen
Experience 6A: Finding & Identifying
Experience 6B: Sketching & Photographing
Experience 6C: Experiencing & Cultivating
Experience 6D: Reflecting & Sharing
Chapter 7: Your Moss, Fern, Horsetail or Wort
Experience 7A: Finding & Identifying
Experience 7B: Sketching & Photographing
Experience 7C: Experiencing & Cultivating
Experience 7D: Reflecting & Sharing
Chapter 8 Your Monocot – Grass, Rush, Sedge, Orchid or Lily
Experience 8A: Finding & Identifying
Experience 8B: Sketching & Photographing
Experience 8C: Experiencing & Cultivating
Experience 8D: Reflecting & Sharing
Chapter 9: Your Dicot – Complex Flowering Plant, Deciduous Tree or Shrub
Experience 9A: Finding & Identifying
Experience 9B: Sketching & Photographing
Experience 9C: Experiencing & Cultivating
Experience 9D: Reflecting & Sharing
Chapter 10: Carbon Sequestering Tree – Conifer, Ginkgo, Cycad or Gnetophyta
Experience 10A: Finding & Identifying
Experience 10B: Sketching & Photographing
Experience 10C: Experiencing & Cultivating
Experience 10D: Reflecting & Sharing
Part III – Experiencing, Researching & Documenting the Moving Species
Chapter 11: Your Worm or Gastropod
Experience 11A: Finding & Identifying
Experience 11B: Sketching & Photographing
Experience 11C: Experiencing & Cultivating
Experience 11D: Reflecting & Sharing
Chapter 12: Your Flying Insect
Experience 12A: Finding & Identifying
Experience 12B: Sketching & Photographing
Experience 12C: Experiencing & Cultivating
Experience 12D: Reflecting & Sharing
Chapter 13: Your Arachnid
Experience 13A: Finding & Identifying
Experience 13B: Sketching & Photographing
Experience 13C: Experiencing & Cultivating
Experience 13D: Reflecting & Sharing
Chapter 14: Your Fish or Bird
Experience 14A: Finding & Identifying
Experience 14B: Sketching & Photographing
Experience 14C: Experiencing & Cultivating
Experience 14D: Reflecting & Sharing
Chapter 15: Your Mammal, Reptile or Amphibian
Experience 15A: Finding & Identifying
Experience 15B: Sketching & Photographing
Experience 15C: Experiencing & Cultivating
Experience 15D: Reflecting & Sharing
Part IV – Manifesting Habitat Restoration & Conservation
Chapter 16: Investigating Conservation Projects
Experience 16A: Neighborhood Assessment
Experience 16B: Weighing Options
Experience 16C: Getting Input
Experience 16D: Choosing Your Project
Chapter 17: Building Conservation Partnerships
Experience 17A: Preparing Presentations
Experience 17B: Reaching Out
Experience 17C: Gathering Together
Experience 17D: Facilitating Meetings
Chapter 18: Gathering Conservation Resources
Experience 18A: Listing Needs
Experience 18B: Delegating Tasks
Experience 18C: Promoting Donations
Experience 18D: Accounting & Maintenance
Chapter 19: Conservation Work Parties
Experience 19A: Surveying Community
Experience 19B: Assessing Response
Experience 19C: Planning Events
Experience 19D: Facilitating Parties
Chapter 20: Publishing Conservation Results
Experience 20A: Documenting Changes
Experience 20B: Adjusting Methods
Experience 20C: Sharing Results
Experience 20D: Accepting Feedback
Wolf Journey Earth Conservation Courses
Wolf Journey course books consist of 20 chapters, each with four core study experiences that can be completed as a series of lessons to earn a conservation certificate in your area of interest.
Book One: The Neighborhood Naturalist (now available online for apprentices and alumni)
Book Two: The Traditional Herbalist (out of print)
Book Three: The Wildlife Tracker (out of print)
Book Four: The Survival Scout (out of print)
Book Five: The Sustainable Citizen (out of print)
Book Six: The Environmental Educator (now available online for apprentices and alumni)
The original books are being republished as online courses. Click here to send an email so we can notify you as we launch each book.