What if the natural world is constantly communicating — and you could learn to understand what it’s saying?
In this four-week course, naturalist and wildlife expert George Bumann invites you to tune into the signals, sounds, and subtle cues of the more-than-human world. By learning to interpret animal behavior and environmental patterns, you’ll begin to uncover a hidden layer of communication that can deepen your awareness, sharpen your perception, and transform how you move through any landscape.
Dates
October 7–28,
2026
Meeting Times
Wednesdays
11 AM - 12:30 PM PT
Duration
4 Weeks
90 minutes/week
Format
Live Online with Interactive Sessions
Cost
$349
We live surrounded by constant communication in the natural world — alarm calls, movement patterns, shifts in behavior — yet most of us have lost the ability to notice, interpret, and respond to these signals. What if those “background” sounds and movements are actually rich with meaning? What if the crows calling overhead are reacting to a predator you haven’t seen yet, or a sudden silence is telling you something just changed?
In this course, we’ll explore how to read the language of wildlife and landscapes. Drawing on both scientific understanding and traditional ways of knowing, we’ll begin to recognize patterns in animal behavior and develop the skills to interpret what those patterns reveal, whether it’s sensing the approach of an eagle before it appears, tracking the movement of a deer you can’t see, or understanding why certain animals remain hidden while others reveal themselves.
As we build this awareness, we’ll tap into our own innate capacity to perceive and understand these signals — abilities that have always been part of being human, but are often dulled by modern life. With practice, the world around us begins to feel more alive, more legible, and more connected.
This course runs from October 7 – 28, 2026, with live classes held on Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (PT) via Zoom. Recordings will be available for registrants who miss a session.
Course Modules
This four-part course builds your ability to notice, interpret, and engage with the ongoing conversations of the natural world, expanding awareness from curiosity to fluency.
MODULE 1
Gossips All Around
Animals are constantly communicating, but how much of it are we actually noticing, and what can it reveal? We’ll begin by tuning into the often-overlooked sounds and signals around us, rediscovering a sense of curiosity and wonder while learning to recognize meaningful patterns in wildlife behavior.
MODULE 2
Finding Meaning
Interpreting animal communication may feel like learning a new language, but it’s more intuitive than you might think. We’ll explore the innate human abilities that allow us to read these signals and begin making sense of what we observe.
MODULE 3
Becoming Conversant
With practice, observation becomes insight. In this session, we’ll deepen our ability to interpret specific messages from wildlife, learning how animal behavior can reveal hidden movement, presence, and activity in the landscapes.
MODULE 4
A New Sense of Place
As our awareness grows, so does our relationship to place. We’ll explore how engaging with these “conversations” can transform how we experience our surroundings, shifting from simply living somewhere to becoming part of a dynamic, interconnected community.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
George Bumann is an artist, naturalist, and author based in Yellowstone National Park. With formal training in wildlife ecology and thousands of hours in the field, he helps people reconnect with the natural world through the language of animals — from the croak of a raven to the howl of a wolf. His programs have guided more than fifteen thousand participants in developing deeper awareness and connection to place, and his work has been featured by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, and TEDx. Learn more at georgebumann.com.
Eavesdropping on Nature
What We Can Learn from Wildlife Conversations
