WORKSHOP 1: WITH RUTH NOLAN
The Power of Space (Making) and Place: Finding and Writing Your Inner Desert During the Pandemic
The ongoing pandemic has made us all thirst for connection with our magical Mojave Desert places more than ever. Whether you've been able to get to Joshua Tree National Park or not during this challenging time, you can join Ruth Nolan's "Writing Your Inner Desert" online workshop to bring you there to experience the desert through creative writing!
Through animated writing prompts provided by the instructor, we'll tune in to the Mojave's vibrant eco-tones as our touchstone for finding and writing a special kind of desert catharsis through the power of place and word. There will be time for participants to share what they write during the workshop. Writers of all levels are welcome, ages 16+.
This will be a one-time, two-hour virtual writing workshop meeting on Thursday, October 7th, 2021, from 6-8 PM, Pacific Standard Time.
This workshop is a continuation of the popular Writing Your Inner Desert workshop series curated by Ruth Nolan and sponsored by the Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park.
You will receive a Zoom meeting link upon registration. Ruth Nolan, M.F.A., M.A., is a Professor of English and Creative Writing at College of the Desert and editor of the critically-acclaimed No Place for a Puritan: The Literature of California's Deserts. She grew up in a remote part of the Mojave Desert and has worked as a wildland firefighter for the Bureau of Land Management California Desert District and the U.S. Forest Service. She has taught creative writing and literature workshops for the Desert Institute for over 10 years and is co-founder of the Inlandia Institute Community Writing Workshop. She writes about the California desert wildfires, environmental issues, indigenous places and culture, and her life living in the Mojave and Coachella Valley Deserts. Her writing has been published in Boom, California; KCET L.A.; Desert Report; News from Native California; McSweeney’s; Desert Oracle; Desert Magazine; USA Today; Rattling Wall; Women’s Studies Quarterly; Inlandia Literary Journeys and has been supported by grants from California Humanities, California Writers Residency, Breadloaf, Aspen Words, and Vermont Studio. She is the curator of the ongoing humanities project, Fire On the Mojave: Stories from the Deserts and Mountains of Inland Southern California, and serves as the inaugural Mojave Desert Literary Laureate (2021-23).
WORKSHOP 2: WITH GEORGE BUMANN
Secrets of Animal Language
George Bumann has been a lifelong observer of nature and a researcher, guide, artist, and educator for over 30 years. After completing an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology, he’s spent the last 20 years in Yellowstone, where he’s helped thousands of people learn how to enjoy the wonders of animal language to deepen their knowledge and appreciation of the natural world and find exciting wildlife encounters. Now he’s looking forward to sharing his knowledge with you in this special workshop.
In this exciting webinar, George will introduce you to:
A secret world of animal communication
The kinds of things wild animals can tell us from their language and behavior
Simple habits and skills to easily tune in to wild conversations
Do you love animals and wish you could see more of them? Do you want to learn more about their behavior? This is an introductory workshop to share how George teaches the subject matter and how the course will be conducted virtually. The date of the workshop is Thursday, September 23, 2021, at 6 pm PST.
Register For This Free WorkshopThe Old Schoolhouse lecture series will return in September. Currently, we anticipate the return of in-person lectures at the 29 Palms Old Schoolhouse Museum. Lectures are on the second Friday of the month, and the lectures begin at 7 pm with a duration of one hour. The entrance fee for the lecture is $5. A subscription for the full season costs $40, which is a $10 savings. Purchase your subscription by clicking on the button below.
September 10, “Native Masterpiece Baskets | Weavers, Art, & Technology," Alan Garfinkel, Author
October 8, “African American Homesteaders of Lanfair Valley,” Barbara Gothard, Artist
November 12, “Willie Boy & The Last Western Manhunt,” Clifford Trafzer, Author, Professor of History, UC Riverside
December 10, “The History of Hi Jolly and the Great Camel Experiment in the Southwest,” Steve Brown, Writer, Executive Producer, and Co-Host: Southwest Stories
January 14, “Cultural Resources of the Mojave National Preserve,” David Nichols, Archaeologist, Mojave National Preserve
February 11, “A Natural History of Anza Borrego," Mike Nichols, Author
March 11, “Can't Live Without You: Ocotillos and Hummingbirds,” Jim Cornett, Biologist, Author
April 8, “A History of Condor Field in 29 Palms,” John Hale, Historian
May 13, “Artists and the Desert Light: A History," Steven Biller, Editor-In-Chief, Palm Springs Life
June 10, “Nevada Test Site,” Kim Stringfellow, Author, Professor, San Diego State University’s School of Art + Design