Have you ever gone hiking and wondered “Huh, I wonder what mushroom that is?” or “What kind of bird is that?” Why not bring along someone who can help you answer those questions? As a nature guide, I can help you learn about the various living beings in nature you may encounter and their habitats, to include:
- Nature identification – animals, plants, fungi, or all of the above.
- Geological history of local landforms and waterways.
- Ecology and ecosystems: how it all fits together, and how to safeguard the balance.
- Your questions answered–and your curiosity encouraged–by a certified Master Naturalist.
Tours are suitable for all ages; no science background necessary. Anyone can learn about the nature around them! (Children under the age of 18 do need to be accompanied by their grown-ups for the entire duration of each tour.)
You can register for one of my scheduled guided tours, or contact me to arrange a private guided tour at a date and location of your choosing. Some same-day bookings at approved locations (see the list below) may be available depending on my existing schedule. Weekends fill up a lot faster than weekdays, and the sooner you can contact me the better your chances of getting the date(s) you want. Gift certificates are now available, and they may be used for privately booked guided tours, not scheduled public tours; click here for more information on gift certificates.
Please note: I do not do strict foraging tours on public land; for example, I don’t lead tours specifically for the purpose of, say, finding edible mushrooms. Rather, my guided nature tours take a more ecologically complete approach to any place I accompany you, where we can learn about both individual life forms and the habitat they live in. Moreover, because I may take multiple groups of people to the same park or other location in a given month, I don’t want to put too much strain on any one edible species in the area. If we happen to find edible plants or mushrooms along the way I can certainly help you identify them. But this is a side bonus to the main goal of connecting you to an entire ecosystem and its inhabitants.
For private landowners, I am happy to explore your land with you and see what sorts of plants and fungi you have, to include anything edible.
Locations
I am able to lead tours on any private land in Washington or Oregon with the landowner’s written approval. I am actively applying for commercial use permits for public land in the Columbia-Pacific region of the Pacific Northwest. I am currently approved for the following locations:
- Willapa National Wildlife Refuge (Long Beach, WA)
- Cape Disappointment State Park (Ilwaco, WA)
- Leadbetter Point State Park (Ocean Park, WA)
- Fort Columbia Historical State Park (Chinook, WA)
- Loomis Lake State Park (Long Beach, WA)
- Seashore Conservation Area (WA) – includes the Washington Coast from Cape Disappointment to Moclips, to include almost the entire length of Long Beach
- Fort Stevens State Park (Warrenton, OR)
- Nehalem Bay State Park (Nehalem, OR)
- Ecola State Park (Cannon Beach, OR)
- Oswald West State Park (Cannon Beach, OR)
- Saddle Mountain State Natural Area (OR) (closed until later in 2023, date TBA)
- Other Oregon State Parks likely will also be okay; no commercial use permit needed for small tours, but I prefer to check with park officials first before scheduling tours at their park
- Tryon Creek State Natural Area (Portland, OR)
- Lacamas Regional Park (Camas, WA)
If you would like to have a tour at any of the above locations we can go ahead and start planning, so you’re welcome to get in touch! For other locations, please contact me as early as possible to begin making arrangements. Please allow a minimum of two months after contract has been signed and before your tour for me to apply for a commercial use permit.
