Point Reyes Retreat Recap
In early May I spent five days co-teaching, with John Muir Laws, at the Wild Wonder Foundation’s Point Reyes Nature Journaling Retreat. Based in Inverness, at the beautiful St. Columba’s Episcopal Church and Retreat Center, we hosted 35 people from around the country and enjoyed a magical time exploring some of the most special locations in a very special National Seashore (one of only 10 in the U.S.). It was a lovely group—everyone so kind, curious, and ready to explore and learn as much as possible. I am definitely missing them and would love to have spent more time with each and every one.
Every day was special—and packed full of activities and locations!—but here are some highlights:
Exploring tidepools at Agate Beach—I haven’t done that since I was a kid!
Observing bird banding with Point Blue Conservation.
Spending 20 minutes watching a river otter hunting, then giving himself a crazy 10-minute sand-bath (and depositing an epic poo!)—see video below (didn’t catch the poo part, though).
A great-horned owl posed for us for 10 minutes.
Incredible wildflowers on the walk to Limantour Beach, including a 6-foot-plus tall dune lupine with a 6-inch girth!
Sunset at Drake’s Inlet and watching two coyotes on the prowl.
Making paint from Pleistocene-era goethite (a hydrated iron oxide that is a lovely golden yellow), collected on the creek behind Tomales Bay Oyster Company.
Young elephant seals snoozing and interacting with each other at the old lifeguard station beach off Chimney Rock point.
Below I’ve posted my journal pages, and some images of some of the highlights.
