The founder of Nature's Whispers, Michael “Pondhawk” Gulbrandsen, will offer four upcoming workshops this autumn and winter, starting on October 23. This is part of a regular series of programs, workshops and meditative walks led by Gulbrandsen across Dutchess County.

According to Gulbrandsen, Nature’s Whispers was founded so he could teach others how to make a meaningful connection to Grandmother Earth and its inhabitants. During these walks, Gulbrandsen shares mindfulness meditation techniques to help attendees observe the details of the natural world.

“We teach you how to see the smallest detail in the forest, dragonfly wings on a log, or how to look for the signs that nature is offering. A red-tailed hawk flying at your windshield, for example, so you slow down and miss being in the accident up ahead,” he says.

On October 23, Gulbrandsen will lead Wisdom from the Council of the Rocks in Patterson. The workshop begins with a Council ceremony, followed by a guided nature walk that focuses on reading signs and symbols from the forest.

The next fall workshop, Journey of the Bear Ceremony and Walk, will be held on November 13, in Patterson, where Gulbrandsen says participants have the opportunity to see the forest from the eyes of the four-legged and become one with nature.

On December 11, Finding the Mother Tree, a guided walk that teaches students to identify different species of trees that play important roles in their ecosystems, will be held in Dover Plains.

The final winter workshop, Walk in the Shoes of a Deer, will be held on January 15, in Patterson, where Gulbrandsen says participants will learn to connect with animals by following their tracks in the snow covered forest.

“You have to pause and take in the magic, slow down your senses. See the forest from the squirrel’s eyes and listen to nature’s whispers,” Gulbrandsen says. 

For more information, please contact Michael “Pondhawk” Gulbrandsen at 845.489.7250, [email protected] or MeditativeWalks.com