Upcoming Classes & Events
2025 Spring Birding Classes
Beginning Birding in Forest & Field: 3-week Series
Just getting interested in birds and want to learn more? Start here with us! Learn to identify and appreciate bird families, common birds in our region, and what to look and listen for when seeking out the identity of a bird. Meet new friends to go birding with!
Classroom: Wednesday evenings May 14, May 28, & June 18 5:30-7pm
Field Trips: Friday (Section A) or Saturday (Section B) mornings May 16/17, May 30/31, June 20/21
$100 members; $120 nonmembers.
Knock! Knock!: Cavity Nesters
Learn all about the woodpeckers, nuthatches, and others who excavate cavities and those who use them again.
Th, May 8th 5:30-7:00pm and Sat, May 10th 7:30-10:30am
Cost: $50 members; $60 nonmembers.
Springtime Gems: Warblers
Learn to identify differences between these wonderfully flashy, fidgety little birds by focusing on plumage, habitat, songs and calls.
Wed, May 21st 5:30-7:00pm and Sat, May 24th 7-10am
Cost: $50 members; $60 nonmembers.
Birding By Ear: Thrushes and Other Songsters
Learn a variety of techniques to help you identify the birdsounds you hear.
Wed, June 4th 5:30-7:00pm and Sat, June 7th 7-10am
Cost: $50 members; $60 nonmembers.
Little Brown Birds: Sparrows & Allies
Learn to appreciate the little brown birds’ subtle beauty and differences by focusing on plumage, habitat, and songs and calls.
Wed, June 11th 5:30-7:00pm and Sun, June 15th 7-10am
Cost: $50 members; $60 nonmembers.
Art & Science of Bird Language
Learn how and why birds are the messenging system of the forest! Join naturalists Ashley Martens and Cedar Mathers-Winn and you’ll never hear the forest the same again.
Wed, June 25th 6-8pm and Sat, June 28th 7-10am
Cost: $60 members; 70 nonmembers.
NEW! Big Beaked Birds: Finches, Grosbeaks, and More!
Learn to identify and appreciate the birds with big beaks and varied plumage by sight, sound, and habitat.
Thurs, June 26th 6-7:30pm and Sun, June 29th 7-10am
Cost: $50 members; $60 nonmembers.
Wonders of Spring:
Bird migration, song, and breeding at MSU.
Tuesdays May 20-June 10 + field trip.
Course is currently full.
Rise & Shine Creekside Yoga
Fridays at 10am a the stunning shala at Bodhi Farms.
May-Oct 2025
Wild Tea Time
Join me at Bodhi Farms for a guided edible & medicinal plant walk where we will learn about the wild plants that grow there, honorably harvest some, and then craft a tea blend to share. We’ll wander the serene creekside trails and then gather in the open-air yoga shala to craft and mindfully sip our tea together.
Past Events
Stay tuned for 2025 class announcements
Mindful Birding ½ Day Retreat
Sun., Oct. 6th 3-5:30pm at Bodhi Farms
with Naturalist, Birder, Yoga & Mindfulness Instructor Ashley Martens
“Mindful Birding” is a practice combining bird observation and mindfulness techniquesthat results in a heightened awareness of nature and self. The intention is slowing down and noticing,using birds as our guides, instead of labeling or identifying. We’ll combine walking, guided meditations, sitspot, journaling, and reflecting around the fire.
Cost: Sliding Scale $40-80
Nourish, a 1/2 Day Retreat - FULL!
Sunday, Sept. 8th 3-5:30pm at Bodhi Farms
Join yoga teacher and seasoned naturalist Ashley Martens to nourish body, mind, and heart in this serene, private creekside setting.
Restorative yoga and meditation
Mindful birding
Honorable harvesting of wild plants for tea ritual
Refreshing dip in the creek
Cost: sliding scale $40-80
Space is limited.
How to Be a Birder
5-part class offered through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at MSU starts September 18th.
Birdwatching is accessible, joyful and good for your health! Birds are everywhere - you can bird from a seat by a window in your home or in the remote reaches of Yellowstone. Don't know how to start? Learn how to be a birder in this introductory class, including basic bird identification and choosing and using the tools that support your birding experience.
Private Yoga & Nature Classes at Bodhi Farms
I have contracted with wedding parties, mom’s groups, and non-profit groups for private nature classes at the beautiful creekside Bodhi Farms south of Bozeman. Reach out to set up a custom program for you and your group this May-October!
I also teach a public yoga class on Fridays 10-11am. Join me at the sweetest creekside yoga shala ever!
21-Day Sit Spot Practice
May 31-June 21, 2024
We will meet as a group on May 31 & June 21 and you will practice on your own June 1-21.
This practice will deepen your connections with nature, self, and community.
You will notice things you never noticed before.
Your senses will expand.
You will feel more grounded and calm.
In-person or Virtual Options
Good Company: Exploring Trees & Forests
with Gallatin Valley Earth Day & Sacajawea Audubon Society
In each class we'll examine the ecology and lifestyle of these trees, learn how to identify them and tell them apart from other trees, understand their edible and medicinal values, and their roles in ecosystems.
Riparian Forests - Fri, April 12 or Sun, April 14 2-4pm at Gardner Park w/ Ashley Martens
$30/class
December 16
Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Join people around the world counting birds for conservation!
I lead a count on foot on the private Sawmill Rd and at Rocky Creek Farms from mid-morning to early afternoon. Come for an hour or three.
All are welcome. No experience necessary!
After party to tally count data will happen that evening.
Contact me via email for details, questions, and to join.
Email to Secure Your Spot: truenatureed@gmail.com
December 23
Winter Solstice Ceremony
oin us to welcome the returning of the light in a circle of nature-loving people!
Save the Date: Saturday, December 23rd
Outdoors in Kelly Canyon, we will be walking up to 1/2 mile
Time: midday, TBA
Email to Join the Circle: truenatureed@gmail.com
Winter Tracking and Birdwatching
6-week course for middle grade kids at
Wild Wonders Farm School.
Stay tuned.
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