Wildflower Pressing: Capturing Nature’s Beauty

Wildflower Pressing: Capturing Nature’s Beauty

Hike Overview Continued

*Members Only Course: Becoming a member grants you access to all NEW Glacier Institute Field Courses for free, and gives you 50% off all legacy Glacier Institute Field Courses. Thank you for supporting outdoor education!

June 29 and July 20 at 8 a.m.

Instructor: Zowie Caouette

Join us for a hands-on flower pressing course, where you’ll explore the natural beauty of the landscape while learning the art of plant preservation. In the first session, we’ll venture into the field to collect and sketch a variety of wildflowers and plants, then return to the classroom to identify the specimens and begin the pressing process. The second session will be dedicated to creativity, as you transform your pressed flowers into beautiful art pieces. Whether you’re an experienced artist or a beginner, this course offers a unique opportunity to deepen your connection to the natural world while preserving its beauty in a lasting, artistic form.

Meeting Place: Big Creek Youth Campus, Flathead National Forest

Itinerary: (subject to change due to trail closures, weather and blooming seasons)

Day 1: June 29: We will meet at Big Creek, our youth campus, at 8 a.m. We will load into the vehicle and head into the field nearby, collecting specimens along the trail and sketching the plants and landscape where we’ve found them. Around 2 p.m, we will return to the campus to identify our plants and begin the pressing process. The day will end by 4 p.m.

Day 2: July 20: For our second meeting, we will meet at Big Creek at 8 a.m. We will spend the time creating with the flowers and plants that we have pressed. A variety of projects can be made with the pressed specimens: botanical greeting cards, framed artwork, nature – inspired bookmarks, pressed flower journals and more. The second day will end by 12 p.m, but if you are interested in joining for an optional nature walk after lunch until 4 p.m., naturalist Zowie Caouette will be going to scope and identify various plants in the nearby area.

A journal and micron pen is recommended, but you can succeed in this course with a notepad and pencil. If you would like to use color and have access to art materials (markers, colored pencils, transportable paints), please bring them along.

**Please note: if you are unable to attend the second session, please contact register@glacierinstitute.org, and Zowie will arrange a time to meet with you/finish your projects.

Food: Please bring water and any snacks for the day.

Equipment: You will receive a Field Camp gear list once you register. Most importantly are comfortable hiking shoes, at least 1-2 liter water bottle, backpack, rain gear, hat, and sunscreen. Weather can be varied, so be prepared with appropriate clothing. A journal and micron pen is recommended, but you can succeed in this course with a notepad and pencil. If you would like to use color and have access to art materials (markers, colored pencils, transportable paints), please bring them along.

Physical Requirements: Moderate. You will hike up to five miles and gain up to 600 feet of elevation gain.

Recommended Reading:
● “Pressed Flowers: A Guide to Pressing, Drying, and Framing” by Bex Partridge
● “The Flower Hunter: How to Collect, Identify, and Preserve the Wildflowers of North America” by Chris Thorogood