John Bates

John Bates is the author of 11 books and a contributor to eight others, all of which focus on the natural history of the Northwoods. He has worked as a naturalist in Wisconsin’s Northwoods for 31 years, leading an array of trips and giving talks all designed to help people further understand the remarkable diversity and beauty of nature, and our place within it. He has served on the Board of Trustees for the Wisconsin Nature Conservancy, River Alliance of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Humanities Council, and he currently serves on the Board of the Northwoods Land Trust. John has a MS in Environmental Sciences from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. John and his wife, fiber artist Mary Burns, live on the Manitowish River in Iron County, WI, where they raised two daughters.

Courses offered:

Writing at Home in the Natural World: Nature Through Poetry

Writing at Home in the Natural World: Creative Non-Fiction

Writing at Home in the Natural World

Wisconsin’s Remnant Old-Growth Forests: Island Lake Hemlocks SNA

Wisconsin’s Last Undeveloped Lakes: Paddling Mud Lake

Wisconsin’s Last Undeveloped Lakes: Paddling Upson Lake

Visioning: Responding to Nature Through Writing

Exploring the Wild Undeveloped Lakes of Iron County – Moose Lake, Frog Lake, and Plunkett Lake – with Susan Knight and Mary Burns

Beaver Creek Hemlocks Natural History Hike

Birding the Little Turtle Flowage by Boat and on Foot

Terra Mater Nature Preserve Hike

Ecology, Diversity and Beauty of Northwoods Forests

Land of Lakes: Ecology of the Northern Highland Lakes, with Terry Daulton

Spring Flora of the North Woods, with Mary Burns

Birding Skills Workshop, with Joan Elias

Identification of Migratory Songbirds with Joan Elias

Big Day Iron County Bird Count