At Home in the Woods: Field Skills, Natural History, and Creative Observation (2-day class)

This class will open for registration during our Fall Festival on Saturday, September 19, 2026.

 

At Home in the Woods is a weekend workshop for people who want more than a checklist of outdoor skills. It is for those curious about what it means to feel at home in a particular place—body, mind, and imagination.

 

Over two days, we’ll move slowly through the St. Croix River Valley, using practical field skills, natural history, and simple creative practices as three ways of entering into conversation with the land. Short walks and quiet pauses will give us time to notice light on water, wind in the canopy, and the ways birds, plants, and weather mark the turning of the seasons.

 

We’ll learn how to stay warm and dry, how to use a map and compass to feel oriented, and how to read terrain and habitat patterns. Just as importantly, we’ll practice listening: to birdsong and animal calls, to textures of bark and stone, and to the small signs that tell us a place is alive and changing. Field journaling, sketching, and photography will serve not as assignments, but as invitations to linger, notice, and remember.

 

The aim is to offer a way of being outside that feels grounded, attentive, and quietly joyful.

 

About the Instructor: Chalres Buchwald

 

Instructor will provide the following: 

A variety of binoculars, monoculars, magnifying lenses, and other instruments; pens, pencils, brushes; cord; other supplies for exploring.

 

Students are asked to bring:

• A day pack or bag with essentials for a short hike
• Weather-appropriate clothing
• Since your class runs over the lunch hour, we recommend you bring lunch or click HERE to learn about local eating opportunities available before or after your class. 

 

Skill Level 

No experience required. 

 

Age Recommendation 

Students ages 16 and older are welcome to attend this class. Students ages 16 and 17 may attend without a parent/guardian in attendance as long as MMFS is provided with written parental permission by email to info@marinemillsfolkschool.org.

 

Location Details 

Marine Mills Folk School

550 Pine Street

Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047

 

Cost Details

Tuition: $190

Materials Fee: $20

Total Cost: $210

 

NOTE: Be aware we may cancel class if a minimum number of registrations is not reached. We work to balance teachers’ need to plan for a class with students’ busy schedules — not an easy task. Please register as early as possible! If interested, you can find our cancellation policy HERE.