Living in Community with the Natural World

Immersive outdoor education designed for adults interested in botany, ecology, fungi, wilderness skills, and more.

Upcoming Events

Northwest Natura is located in Bellingham, WA and leads field trips for adults (16+) within the greater Salish Sea Bioregion.

Day trips, workshops, multi-day series, and guided hiking tours are offered year-round.

Private lessons (family friendly at your request) are scheduled through this portal

Looking to stay informed about classes?
Find ads for Northwest Natura on all Bellingham event calendar websites.

or sign up for a monthly email about courses by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

Fall 2025

Jazmen is filling in at Western Washington University 3 days/week

Mycology at WWU

Mycology (Bio453) at WWU is a Majors biology course focused on fungi taxonomy, physiology, and ecology. It includes lectures, labs, and field trips, and meets three days every week.

This is a wonderful teaching opportunity and an honor to return to the classroom I was once a student in.

Between October 15th and November 13th, if you experience any delay in email communication, rest assured, I will reach out or respond ASAP. I will be working Monday-Sunday juggling Northwest Natura and WWU responsibilities.

Thank you for being patient.

Northwest Natura classes occurring on weekends may receive information on the Wednesdays or Thursdays beforehand, instead of Tuesdays like normal.

Next available dates for Private Lessons are the unmarked dates in the December calendar below.

Northwest Natura Upcoming Events

For more information, please visit the
Events Page

Classes take place in Bellingham, WA and surrounding areas.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • “Are your courses kid-friendly?” Outdoor classes with Northwest Natura (NWN) are designed just for adults. Children under 16 are welcome to come to indoor seminars. Book a private outdoor lesson for your young ones and their friends through this portal (all ages private lessons available at your request).

    Also check out Wild Things outings with Wild Whatcom (all ages programs) for affordable family friendly nature walks.

    Northwest Natura is not a youth-focused company.

  • “Can I bring my dog?” Short answer, no, but feel free to send me an email nwnatura@gmail.com to check in. I have made a few exceptions, but very rarely do I allow pets to be present on field trips or workshops.

    • Why no dogs? Because courses may take place in areas where dogs are not permitted (Nature Reserves), or in areas where abundant delights abound like small animals, fragrant soils and moss, or sandbars or mud where we want to see wildlife tracks and sign. Second, if multiple dogs are on the trip, it gets to be quite chaotic. Third, some participants may be allergic or have a fear of dogs. Finally, while I LOVE dogs, I have learned that I am a better (more focused) instructor when pets (as fun, cute, and sweet as they always are), are not present. Thank you for your compassion and understanding!

  • “Do you ever teach in Seattle/Portland/etc.?” NWN teaches private lessons and works special events for large organizations outside of Bellingham but otherwise sticks to about a 50-mile radius in and around Whatcom County. If you’d like to book a private lesson in Seattle, PDX, or elsewhere, contact Jazmen through this portal with details.

  • “I only see classes for a couple of months, when will you post classes for the future?” Calendars are updated around the second week of each month. Events are booked out 1-3 months in advance. If you see a lot of blank dates in the calendar above, check back in a week to see if it’s been updated. You can also add yourself to the monthly email list to get calendar updates (scroll down to add your email).

Instagram Feed

Follow @northwest_natura for regular updates on programs, educational videos, and monthly nature quizzes.

View fullsize Winter class announcements! Swipe to see 👉 My fire class is on saIe through the end of the month! I’m really looking forward to the cold season! I’m offering a balance of indoor and outdoor programs this year, and I have a few new top
View fullsize Winter is coming - New Class Announcements 👉 I'm excited to announce ALL of these upcoming courses: 🪄 Wand Carving Workshop 🌲 Naturalist Hike: Trees, Mushrooms, Ferns, & Lichen 🧺 Pine Needle Basketry 🔥 Winter Firemaking Skills 🌈 PNW Lichen
View fullsize Get whimsical with me and @thedrytroll this fall in our new Wand Carving Workshop! In this workshop: 🪄 Learn the lore of trees, and their magical properties and symbolism. 🪄 Select a stick from an offering of various magical plants provided to p
View fullsize Autumn is coming- Mushroom foray and mycology workshops are posted 🍄 🖤 I’m really excited to be able to offer a mushroom keying course this year in addition to a seminar and several forays! I’m also offering a natural dyes workshop -
View fullsize
View fullsize
View fullsize Next month I’m kicking off Mushroom Season @mygardennursery with a comprehensive Fungi Basics and Foraging Seminar (details on slide 3 👉)! Grab a bite and a delicious coffee drink from The Purple Flamingo Cafe and come join me in the classro
View fullsize New cIass announcements! Swipe to see 👉 It’s crazy that mushroom season is comin up already! I try to plan my schedule 2-3 months in advance for you all and I just added my first fungi class of the year! It’ll be a seminar focused on fo
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View fullsize Happy Solstice everyone! Here’s what I have planned for the next couple months - Swipe to see 👉 I’m really looking forward to getting out every weekend and teaching something super cool and awesome to whomever chooses to join and suppor

Custom Courses and Private Events

Suggest a class topic for the calendar, or design your own private outing.

Private outings are kid-friendly at your request.

Learn More About Private Lessons

Customer Feedback

  • Jazmen is a skilled and patient instructor. I took a pine needle basketweaving class and left with the skills needed to finish the project and start many more. I would recommend!

    Sarah S

  • I have done several classes with Jazmen over the last year or so. Every time, we are in such a beautiful area that I’ve never been to before, even though I’ve lived here for 34 years. Her knowledge on everything we come across baffles me sometimes. Everything is so hands on and fun! We have explored bogs, made bread over a fire, explored the low tides, and hiked into the deep woods to find purple mushrooms. So many good memories and looking forward to many more.

    Sarah D.

  • Fabulous teacher, keeps you engaged the whole time and explains complex structures in an understandable way for beginners. I went on a mushroom foraging expedition and learned so much! I would definitely recommend this course and I will be taking others as well.

    Serena N.

  • Not only is Jazmen super knowledgeable, her classes are so fun!! We have learned so much & have had amazing time foraging, cooking & hiking! 10/10!!

    Jessica P.

  • So FUN... and informative! With Jazmen, its like going out with a friend. I've taken 2 of Jazmen's walks and I'll be doing more. If you have any interest in mushrooms, fungi, nature, what's edible in nature (and not!), you owe yourself an outing or class with Jazmen. She knows the foraging spots and puts a lot of planning and thought into her work, which she generously shares. Highly recommended!!

    Gary

  • We traveled from Tacoma to take a course with Jazmen, and it was definitely worth the drive! She was such a great teacher. I had taken some basic college ecology courses and really struggled to understand how to identify mushrooms and navigate the books. A two hour course with NW Natura was the most beneficial class I’ve taken, I understood what she teaching and learned so many new things. I will definitely be taking more classes in the future!

    Zoe S

  • Wonderful! As a total mushroom nube, I thought 3 hours of “classroom” might be long. How wrong I was! Jazmen is a delight, and her enthusiastic knowledge of foraging and PNW forestry definitely made me want to learn more. I took tons of notes and can’t wait to join one of the upcoming trail hikes

    Crystal

  • So fun! Jazmen was our guide. She’s fun, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable. Lots of good, interesting, and varied facts. I learned a lot!

    Alex

  • My partner and I took a foraging and cordage making class with Jazmen this weekend. It was a beautiful afternoon with beautiful plants all around. We hiked through fields and forest while identifying the different tasty treats. Jazmen has an immense knowledge of plants and the environment. It was an absolute pleasure to learn from someone with so much passion for their craft. 10/10, highly recommend. Jazmen is a great leader, great teacher, and a splendid human.

    Courtney N

  • Jazmen is very knowledgeable and is able to share that in a way that is engaging and enjoyable. The classes are very hands-on and I always come away from them feeling like I learned things, and with a greater appreciation for Nature.

    Janette B

  • I've taken several classes with Northwest Natura and all have been really great experiences. Jazmen is very knowledgeable on a pretty wide array of subject matter from plant id and foraging, to ethno-botany, fungi, campfire cooking, and a bunch of other outdoor skills. She also does a really good job creating a fun, inclusive, hands-on learning environment which I really appreciate. Every class I've taken has been different, and I've learned a bunch of cool things each time. Highly recommended!!!

    Mike B

  • I recently took a basketry class with Jazmen of Northwest Natura and loved it. Jazmen is incredibly skilled and a born teacher, but also created a class environment which felt really relaxed and enjoyable. And amazingly we all made baskets! I would highly recommend checking out her classes.

    Alexis H

  • Had such a great time foraging for mushrooms this past weekend with Jazmen. She helped me organize a small group foray as a belated birthday gift for my brother and our little group had such a good time. Jazmen is very knowledgeable about mushroom and plant identification and does a great job of breaking her knowledge down in a way that is easy for others with minimal experience to understand.

    Kristen B

  • What an unbelievable gem Jazmen is - knowledgeable, relaxed, welcoming, adventurous, excellent. My partner and I took her mushroom foraging class, learned a lot, came home with a healthy bag of chanterelles and an interest in going back for more! We’re excited about her classes on ferns, fire, and bread-making too. Highly recommend booking something with her

    Zack F

  • We had the best day ever taking a mushroom course with Jazmen! She is so knowledgeable and kind, and is just a joy to be around. We learned so much throughout the day, and will definitely be signing up for more classes! Cannot recommend highly enough!

    Madelaine K

  • I took the mushroom class with a friend and I'm so glad we decided to do it! Jazmen is super passionate and knowledgeable about native fungi and plants! It was a great way to meet new people and get out in nature! You don't need to know anything in order to do the class but even if you do it would still be fun!

    Krista L

  • Went on a mushroom foray with Jazmen and a small group. Jazmen is a great teacher and guide and unfolds so much knowledge with an obvious passion for ecology and for mushrooms in particular. What an amazing day we had. Felt like foraging with friends. Thanks Jazmen.

    John H

  • I had an awesome experience with Jazmen on a private mushroom foraging trip. She was professional, knowledgeable, and fun to be with. Jazmen is a great teacher - highly recommend!

    Michael M

  • I first met Jazmen at a wildlife tracking workshop she did with Ryan (Firecraft Northwest). They are remarkably intelligent and very keen to share their knowledge with others. Highly recommend attending a workshop with them to learn anything and everything about the natural world around us

    Michael P

  • I highly recommend participating in a program from Jazmen with Northwest Natura! Jazmen's classes, hikes, and events are fun, well thought out, and designed for anyone to participate. Beginners and veterans are both welcome and will walk away proud to share something new they have learned and stories to tell. As an instructor, Jazmen is extremely knowledgeable, fun-loving, and inspiring. After one of her classes, you'll want to keep on learning and dive even deeper into so many exciting nature studies and wilderness skills!

    Ryan J

  • Jazmen is a legend. Her workshops and gatherings are my preferred way to get to know some of the best plants and people in Whatcom County.

    Brett K

  • I took a native PNW tree ID class with Jazmen and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Jazmen was an approachable and knowledgable instructor, and I came away from the class feeling as though I could positively ID multiple trees in the region. I also really appreciated that she sent out a follow-up email with all the information she covered in the class. Would highly recommend taking a workshop with Northwest Natura.

    Arielle A

  • I went on a couple of plant walks with Jazmen. Even though the weather was cold, damp, and cloudy, I had such a good time. Jazmen brought so much vitality, love, and fun to the experience, and all that connected to her deep knowledge of plants, ecology, and ethnobotany. Jazmen made everyone feel like an active member of the group, and a friend. This was not a simple stroll through the woods -- at every turn on the trail she stopped to engage us in learning about something there.

    Eric W

  • I had a great time and learned a ton at the foraging class! Jazmen is a great leader and I look forward to learning more in the future. Highly recommended!

    Josh G

  • My wife and I had a great time experiencing the PNW Ethnobotany guided hike with Jazmen and Northwest Natura! We go hiking frequently but we do not know much about the plants we see. After the guided walk, we felt much more informed and much closer to the nature surrounding us. Jazmen is crazy knowledgable and is very good at explaining things. Also, she encourages questions and provides great answers. Highly recommended!

    Frank S

  • Classes are fun with a variety of course topics for any outdoor enthusiast at any level. I highly recommend signing up for one Northwest Natura’s classes! Jazmen and other instructors that she partners with are enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and always enjoyable to be around.

    Aimee W

  • I have learned so much from Northwest Natura's field trips! A great way to get out into nature, learn, and meet people with common interests. I really enjoyed the tree ID and botany trips, and can't wait to sign up for more in the future!

    Brigitta M

  • What a great spot outside of Maple Falls to participate in the Winter Medicine class. I learned lots about cottonwood as we made a tincture, oil and salve. I highly recommend this class to anyone who is interested in learning about natural medicines and being outside,!

    -Linda C

  • I took Jazmen's Pine Needle Basketry weaving class recently and it was much more than I hoped for. Jazmen is a wonderful teacher and a just a lovely human to spend time with. I wasn't sure what the class would be like, and was a little nervous going in solo, but even the other students were a delight. I learned a lot and the sense of community was a welcome surprise. I signed up for another one of Jazmen's classes almost immediately and so looking forward to it! It's SO COOL to have someone in our community teaching these unique classes, sharing local knowledge, and bringing us together. Northwest Natura is a treasure.

    Emmy

Not sure what to get for someone who enjoys the outdoors? Northwest Natura gift cards are a wonderful gift for all outdoorsy folks and shows you support and care about their interest in nature.

Pick one up from The Shop