Songs of the Wilderness

Take Five Hikes

Take a break from your daily routine, step away from the ordinary, and get out in nature. Get moving, get hiking, and clear out your head; and step into the richness of our mountains through this series of five hikes.

Each hike takes place on one of our local trails and is a mix of hiking, natural history, and wilderness awareness skills, with sprinklings of mindfulness, nature connection, and community.

Islands in a Sea of Chaparral – Oct. 23, 9AM-1PM

In our semi-arid climate, the power of water becomes more apparent as we move through the seasons. Explore the riparian habitats found in our creeks and what they have to show us about moving with nature.

Rising Mountains and the Great River – Oct. 30, 9AM-1PM

Ever-changing, the landscape around us is in constant motion. From our geologically active mountains that are still rising, to the plants and animals that live here, everything has a story about how it got to be here.

Nature’s Bounty – Nov. 6, 9AM-1PM

Discover the abundance of nature through the diversity of native plants. This hike will explore the different edible and medicinal plants growing in our local backcountry and their usage by native people for thousands of years.

Listening to Nature – Nov. 13, 9AM-1PM

Everything in nature is woven together, the plants, the animals, the landscape, and the deeper forces that move life forward. These interwoven relationships can draw us into a richer dialogue with nature and help guide us.

Finding your way home – Nov. 20, 9AM-1PM

It’s easy to get lost in our modern lives, including out on the trails. Reconnecting with nature can help us learn how to reorient ourselves and more easily read the landscape around us, and find our way home.

James Wapotich is a trail guide, UC Certified California Naturalist, Volunteer Wilderness Ranger with Los Padres National Forest, and author of the Santa Barbara News-Press hiking column, Trail Quest. He leads workshops on backpacking, wilderness awareness skills, and mindfulness in nature.

Participants must be able to comfortably hike 2-4 miles. A list of what to bring and where to meet will be provided before each hike.

Each hike is $25, or $20 each if you sign up for all five.

To register or for more information contact James at (805) 729-4250 or jwapotich@yahoo.com.