PLAYA Experience: A Naturalist’s Ways of Seeing (May 22–May 26, 2025)

Science and art merge in a naturalist’s approach to viewing and understanding nature. In this Experience, participants will visit several diverse ecosystems (wetlands, high desert, pine forest) and practice the art of “seeing.” The instructor will provide a working framework for thinking about life history strategies (including ecological concepts such as herbivory, predation, migration, foraging, competition, cooperation, reproduction, parental care, and social behavior) of animals and plants. There will be time in the field and at the PLAYA campus for independent journaling, field sketching, and photography. Participants can share their work with others, and the instructor is happy to provide individualized feedback.

Participants will leave this Experience with diverse ways of perceiving and interpreting nature, and familiarization with plants, animals, ecosystems, and ecological and evolutionary processes.

🦅 Spring in Summer Lake is a remarkable time for birding. Want to deep dive into birding with this experienced naturalist? Attend Walt’s two Experiences back to back! He is also guiding Great Birding in the Great Basin the weekend just before A Naturalist’s Way of Seeing. Stay at PLAYA for free for the nights in between!

Click each cabin below for the full workshop agenda/details and cabin descriptions.

Cancellation policy: $50 cancellation fee. Six or less days before arrival NO refund; seven-14 days before arrival 50% refund; 15-28 days before 75% refund.