Great Works Regional Land Trust is offering a one night class designed to help you use technology to identify birds, plants, and wildlife in your own backyard. This class will be followed up with a weekend hike on one of GWRLT’s public preserves in the school district region. Learn how to navigate and store your data on E-Bird and I-Naturalist. Use Merlin in real time to identify birdsong and connect what you hear to what you see. Whether in your backyard or deep in the woods, you can track your wildlife adventures by place and by date. Participants should bring their smartphones to download the apps they choose to use.

Class Times are as follows: 

Classroom time: Monday, May 11: 6 - 8p at Noble Middle and High School
Hike Day: Saturday, May 16: 9a location to be determind

Minimum: 4 | Maximum: 10 

Yin yoga is a style of yoga where passive yoga posture(poses) are held for extended periods of time. Typically 3-5 min., sometimes longer. In these passive postures, muscle activity is minimized, with a focus on stretching connective tissues, such as fascia, ligaments and tendons. We will gently settle into postures, supported by yoga props, while deeply connecting to breath. These longer holds allow the muscles to lengthen passively and for physical releases under the skin to occur. This practice supports overall flexibility, circulation, and range of motion in the joints and ligaments. It also is a practice in mindfulness, as conscious breathing occurs, quieting the mind and supporting nervous system health. This class is for those new to yoga, as well as seasoned yogis looking for a deep stretch. Yoga blocks/bolster are encouraged if you have them, otherwise the teacher has props to use during class. *No Class: 4/20.

You will choose a pre-wrapped tarot deck (the blind date part of this). Then have a chance to learn simple tarot card spreads and practice with each other. This will be a fun and interactive evening. Cost includes the purchase of a tarot deck. (I will provide the decks). Led by Jeannie Sullivan from HeartFelt Energies.

Bring your camera and learn how to improve your portraits. Get better results by understanding basic posing, how to control depth of field by positioning and camera adjustments, and how to expose and light your subject to make them stand out.

Learn the basics of rug braiding and make this lovely small bowl. There are two options for this class: an evening session at the East building, or an afternoon class in Shapleigh. Materials fee payable to instructor: $15

Yoga Nidra is a meditative yoga practice, also known as "yogic sleep", that encourages a consciousness residing between sleep and awake. It is a guided meditation that focuses on relaxation and/or conscious dreaming. The class is practiced laying down, comfortable and supported with props, where the mind, body and senses are guided by the instructor into a physiological state of rest. Yoga nidra offers a break from the sensory overload often induced by busy life, screens and media. Among the many health benefits associated with yoga nidra are: improved sleep quality, stress-reduction, enhanced cognitive function, and a general sense of well-being. No previous experience necessary.

Have you ever thought about preserving your own food? Perhaps you enjoy the bounty of farmers markets, and want to find a way to enjoy local produce year-round. Or, maybe you have your own vegetable garden and end up with more produce than you can eat. Whatever your reason, if you want to try preserving but aren’t sure how to get started, this is the class for you! In this four-part, hands-on class, taught by Master Food Preserver and cookbook author Allison Carroll Duffy, we’ll cover all of the primary home food preservation methods you’ll need to get started, including canning, freezing, drying, fermenting, and cold-storage (root cellaring). Each week we’ll focus on a different method (or two), discussing proper procedures, techniques, food safety, and use of tools and equipment. We’ll then practice the method(s) hands-on, preparing and preserving food as a group, enjoying some samples as well. No matter what types of foods you enjoy and are hoping to preserve, this class will provide all you need to know to get started preserving food confidently at home! *A materials fee of $40 must be paid to the instructor on the first night of class.

This gentle class is for those looking to stretch, connect to the breath and practice traditional yoga postures, at a slow pace. We gently and safely encourage our muscle tissues to deeply lengthen and stretch, increasing range of motion and flexibility. Conscious intention and awareness are given to the breath, strengthening the nervous system and deepening the connection to mind and body. This class is designed for new, as well as, seasoned yogis looking for a mindful, gentle practice.