We had the good fortune of connecting with Chelsea Ernst and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chelsea, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It started as a spark over 10 years ago: an idea of combining recreation and natural history education into classes for anyone who was interested. Back then, I don’t know how serious my idea was. And I absolutely did not know what that looked like logistically at the time. After working towards my M.Ed through teaching various programs in the North Cascades for youth and adults, then working with several nature connection schools in the Pacific Northwest, the idea began to fully form.

My partner and I dreamed of starting a school that combined all aspects of earth skills and natural history that we loved, without the competitively-driven business mindsets we’d seen before. We wanted to be in a place that we loved, and to sew and grow a community centered around nature connection and life-long learning. We wanted to be a small and nimble organization, who worked in connection with other small and nimble businesses in the area. And now, in our third year of Nighthawk Naturalist School in Bend, OR, we’re beginning to see these dreams come to fruition and grow by sharing them.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Nighthawk Naturalist School is a small nature connection school nestled on the east slopes of the Oregon Cascades. We offer Immersion Courses, Short Courses, and Camps for youth and adults on a variety of earth skills and natural history topics including survival skills, bow craft, brain tanning, plant medicine, basketry, wildlife tracking, birding, and more. We strive to be a small organization, with small class sizes and low teacher:student ratios, instructors who have honed the crafts they teach, and who provides space for connection and community growth through nature connection. I am so proud of our students who continue their journey beyond these courses and share their passions with others.

Building and growing Nighthawk is a constant journey with its fair share of rewards, risks, and challenges along the way. In-the-moment problem solving and team building can feel stressful and inspiring all at once. Whatever the challenges, they are always an opportunity for growth and a door towards something better. And I know that there’s nothing else in the world I’d rather be doing!

For those who may just be beginning their journey towards connecting with nature, or for those who just want to do that more among community, our goal with these programs is more than learning facts and skills. It’s not necessarily about “prepping” or “getting educated” or any “survivalist mindset,” though each person will have their own take aways from the journey. It’s about how these crafts and the learning process outdoors with others makes us feel. Those things are what have the power to transform and impact our mindset, to allow us to “sink in” to the natural world, and to connect with ourselves and each other.

All these things could be considered big, abstract concepts. But all in all, I’m just a person hoping to share what lights my fire with others, and hear from others what they’re passionate about. And I’m so happy that I get to do that almost every day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When folks come to visit me in Bend, there are definitely a few necessary go-to spots. My favorite indoor spots to share with folks are the High Desert Museum for awesome natural history exhibits and 10 Barrel Brewing Company for a yummy brew and a burger. For in-town spots to stroll around when my family visits, I love walking along Tumalo Creek at Shevlin Park or along the Deschutes at Drake Park. For bigger, all-day outings, I love taking folks to see the Big Obsidian Flow at Newberry Volcano, getting up some trails around Broken Top or the Three Sisters, or scooting over to the Painted Hills and the John Day Fossil Beds Paleontology Center for the day. If we’re wanting to eat outside in town on a nice day, my go-to is the Aina Kauai Style grill food truck at Bevel Brewing or El Sancho taco shop on the East Side.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shout out to my partner, Tyler Doyle. None of this would be possible without you and you make my dreams come true!

Website: www.nighthawknaturalistschool.com

Instagram: instagram.com/nighthawknaturalistschool

Facebook: facebook.com/nighthawknaturalistschool

Image Credits
Megan Freeman All other Photos: Credit Nighthawk Naturalist School

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