Writing Our Way to a Deeper Connection with the Natural World
Event Details
- When
- Sep 20, 2025 from 09:30 AM to 04:30 PM
- Where
- Instructor
- Holly Hughes
- Class Tuition
- Minimum Age
- Add it to your calendar
-
vCal
iCal
This one-day workshop evolved from the popular seminar Sit, Walk, Write: Nature and the Practice of Presence, which was offered at the Environmental Learning Center for many years. co-instructor Holly J. Hughes brings decades of experience leading mindful writing workshops designed to deepen our connection with the natural world. Following in the footsteps of Basho and other 17th-century Japanese poets, we’ll pick up our pens and field notebooks, open our senses, and walk mindfully—recording and sketching our observations along the way—before gathering for lunch to share our morning writing.
After lunch, Institute naturalist Hannah Black will lead us on a walk, introducing native species as potential subjects for our writing. You’ll choose from a variety of writing and sketching prompts intended to deepen your connection with nature and heighten your awareness of its resiliency.
Throughout the day, whether spending time alone or together, we’ll reflect on how we can cultivate a sense of reciprocity with the land and sea that nourishes us.
Bowman Bay offers a range of natural habitats to explore—from the Salish Sea shoreline to the forest interior—and provides a shelter for lunch and collaborative writing. Please bring a field notebook or sketchpad, your favorite writing implements, and lunch. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for rain or shine.
No mindfulness experience is necessary, and all writing levels are welcome, whether you write poetry or prose.
Scholarships and Student, Military and Disability discounts are available for most in-person programs. Call (360) 854-2599 for more info!