Mark Warren

“Excellence and care guide every quiet step Mark Warren makes; to follow him teaches unique, wonderful truths about one’s connection to the Earth and its inhabitants. “ –Rhyse Bendell, Medicine Bow summer camper and student“Mark leads the modern reader along the almost forgotten paths of wood lore, natural medicine, and self-sufficiency. “ –Emily Ghiz, baker and Montessori teacherIn this third volume of the “Secrets of the Forest” series, outdoor educator Mark Warren opens the door to experiences with wildlife such as:· how to stalk animals of the wild without being detected by their keen senses. This discipline addresses posture, clothing, diet, de-scenting, and “soft-walking,” the ultra-slow-motion technique that falls below the radar of wildlife’s peripheral vision.· how to read individual tracks and multiple gaits of specific animal species.· how to convert animal skins into rawhide and leather for crafts and clothing.· how to differentiate species of snakes and, in the process, demystify their often misunderstood intentions.The second half of the book is dedicated to games. Its main purpose is to ensure that young ones (under an adult leader) simply have fun on an outing and will want to return to nature for another adventure. Some of these games come from Native American traditions, but many are new and range from “high-action” to “pensive around the campfire” kinds of activities. This volume contains more than one hundred fifty original adventures.

In the second volume of the Secrets of the Forest series, Mark Warren addresses a wide range of what an outdoorsperson needs to know about fire such as: ?how to create it from scratch using three different methods (hand drill, bow drill, and fire-saw). ?which species of trees and dried winter weeds make good candidates for a fire kit. ?where to find tinder that can combust. ?how to construct a fail-proof pyre by mixing fast-burning fuel with dense hardwood. ?how to sustain a fire for the long term, including how to safely store a smoldering fire that can survive for several days. The second half of the book is dedicated to storytelling and ceremony. Its main purpose is how to design stories that augment whatever lessons a teacher has in mind. Such stories can familiarize students with the fine points of archery, canoeing, tracking, stalking, and other crafts or skills. Borrowing from Native American traditions, Warren introduces dozens of ways for young outdoorspeople to build self-esteem and a deep connection with the forest. This volume contains more than 100 original activities.

In this first volume of his Secrets of the Forest series, nature educator Mark Warren explains how to identify and use 100 wild plants as food, medicine, and craft. He also covers “primitive” survival skills, from building a shelter, to purifying water, making tools, traps, and snares. With more than 200 original hands-on activities, the book is a step-by-step guide for teachers, scout leaders, outing clubs, and wilderness programs, and anyone interested in the outdoors and forgotten skills. Hikers who want to carry less gear and become more self-reliant by using what the forest has to offer, will find tricks in these pages to lighten their loads. Outdoor rec professionals will expand their knowledge of their natural surroundings to share with their clients. And parents who seek a closer relationship with nature for themselves and their children will learn to become active, adventurous participants in the forest, rather than just occasional visitors. Volume 2: The Art of Creating Fire and Storytelling and Ceremony Volume 3: Eye to Eye with Animals and at Play in the Wild Volume 4: The Art of Archery and Lake to Whitewater Canoeing

Parents, young people, community organizers, and educators describe how they are fighting systemic racism in schools by building a new intersectional educational justice movement. Illuminating the struggles and triumphs of the emerging educational justice movement, this anthology tells the stories of how black and brown parents, students, educators, and their allies are fighting back against systemic inequities and the mistreatment of children of color in low-income communities. It offers a social justice alternative to the corporate reform movement that seeks to privatize public education through expanding charter schools and voucher programs. To address the systemic racism in our education system and in the broader society, the contributors argue that what is needed is a movement led by those most affected by injustice--students of color and their parents--that builds alliances across sectors and with other social justice movements addressing immigration, LGBTQ rights, labor rights, and the school-to-prison pipeline. Representing a diverse range of social justice organizations from across the US, including the Chicago Teachers Union and the Genders and Sexualities Alliance Network, the essayists recount their journeys to movement building and offer practical organizing strategies and community-based alternatives to traditional education reform and privatization schemes. Lift Us Up will outrage, inform, and mobilize parents, educators, and concerned citizens about what is wrong in American schools today and how activists are fighting for and achieving change.

The inspirational adventure of a man who went back to the land to show us how we can rediscover and reconnect with the wilderness around us.

After a childhood of shocking poverty, Harry Reid completed law school, working as a policeman to pay his way. He faced death threats as the head of the Nevada Gaming Commission trying to clean up Las Vegas. Eventually he rose to become Senate Majority Leader in Washington-without ever forgetting the mining town he came from, or the battles he fought along the way. This is that rare book by a politician that is more than a glorified press release. It is an extraordinary American story-told in a voice that is flinty, real, and filled with passion.