On February 28th, 2008, Sustainable Fairfax hosted well-known naturalist, Jon Young, who spoke on the local bird song and language. The event was part of Sustainable Fairfax’s monthly Community Education series.

Jon Young talked on how to understand the world from the perspective of birds and showed participants how they can tune into that world. Participants found this useful if they are a bird watcher and wanted to better understand birds or if they just wanted to find out more about the local bird language.

Jon Young, was inspired by his childhood mentoring with tracker and author Tom Brown, Jr., Jon has pioneered blending Native mentoring techniques from around the world with the tools of modern field ecology. Under Jon’s guidance, Wilderness Awareness School, which was originally founded as a high school nature club, has grown to reach students all around the world with it’s programs that help people reconnect with their native environments.

Jon has created several popular training tape series and he is the principle author of both The Kamana Naturalist Training Program and The North American Master Shikari Sequence for CyberTracker.

Our Local Birdsong Talk with Nautralist Jon Young on February 28th was a very well attended and delightful event. Thanks much to Circle Center for the use of their beautiful warm SEED space.

We wanted to be sure to pass on a link to learn more about Jon's work with nature Awareness at The Regenerative Design Institute in Bolinas. As well as contacts for some local people who are spreading the gospel of being welcomed backinto the arms of nature. Contact Marin County Tracking Club or a yet unnamed Fairfax Bird Language Group.

Jon recommended getting to know Robins, Juncos, Song Sparrows, Buik's Wren and the Spotted Towhee. He also mentioned reading Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling and Animals are Beautiful People by Jamie Uyes. If you have more notes from this classplease contact us. Thanks to our Community Education volunteers-Eugenia Ives, Mia Andler and Julie Dasheil and to everyone who attended.