Adult Immersion Courses
Naturalist Immersion + Survival Immersion Courses
These two Immersion courses were created as one course. Over the years, we have made them two separate courses. This was done with the intent to make a huge array of topics more digestible and more accessible time and money-wise to working adults. We encourage interested folks to take both! Or choose the one that speaks to you most.
As an added perk: Immersion students receive a deep discount on most workshops during their Immersion year.
You can read more about each courses's upcoming schedule at their links below. You can read about payment and plans in the Enrollment section below. Please read about other details in the FAQ section below.
The pre-requisites for both of these courses are:
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You are 18+
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You will honor Nighthawk Program policies and respect billing policies and due dates
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You have the ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly
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You have respect for peers and for the mentor-student relationship
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A commitment to clear communication
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Knowing yourself and your abilities, reading all course info carefully, and signing up only for courses that are appropriate for you that you plan on attending
Adult Naturalist Immersion
This course focuses on a variety of ecological studies, including plant and animal identification, osteology, animal behavior, wildlife track and sign, bird language, ethnobotany and plant medicine, phenology, wild edibles and wild cooking, and more.
September-June, 1 Saturday per month with 2 Fri/Sat-Sunday overnight, away camping trips.
Adult Survival Immersion
This course covers an array of core wilderness survival topics, including survival shelters, fire craft, water purification, foraging and edible plants, stone or bone tool making, wildlife tracking, wild food and meat acquisition + more. It culminates in a 2-night Survival Trip and a camping trip to the Oregon Dunes.
October-June, monthly/bi-monthly. Some will be Fri/Sat-Sun overnight camping or survival trips, others will be Sat and/or Sunday day meetings.
Adult Immersion Enrollment Options
Payment Options:
Note: These courses are is meant to be taken in full. For shorter courses, see Series or Short Workshop Courses. The Monthly payment option is a payment plan that represents the whole, not a choose-your-month option. You are responsible for paying the full tuition by the end of the course regardless of missed class time.
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Enroll by paying a non-refundable (see our cancellation policy) deposit at the enrollment option below. Soon after, an instructor will contact you to ask for your payment option:
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Option A) Pay the remaining amount in full, up front, by our first meeting together.
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Option B) Pay the remaining in full, but in monthly installments, due each month. 10 monthly payments will begin the month following your registration deposit and will reoccur monthly until your payment is complete. Full payment is due by June, regardless of missed classes.
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Option C) Enroll in BOTH Immersions in one year, receive 15% off total tuition, choose payment option A or B.
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Other payment plan options (quarterly, etc.) can be made available upon request.
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We offer tuition discounts for Veterans and Tribal Members. Only one type of discount per order is eligible. For info and inquiries on these discounts or need-based subsidy, email info@nighthawknaturalistschool.com
Starts Sep 19
997 US dollarsLoading availability...
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Read MoreBegins 10/3/26. Monthly/bi-monthly. Register with $325 deposit, pay remainder up front or monthly.
Starts Oct 3
1,975 US dollarsLoading availability...
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Starts Sep 19
2,526 US dollarsLoading availability...
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Adult Immersion FAQ's
What Does My Tuition Include?
Tuition includes the cost of infrastructure and supplies for your classes, instruction for all of our teachers, their time, class materials, class prep and planning, access to instructor help and materials outside of class, multiple weekend trip considerations, public land permits for land use and camping, firewood for our camping trips, group camping and cooking gear, skill shares, and business operations that make this course possible.
Class Locations?
Classe will be held primarily outdoors and will change locations each weekend. Classes will be held on public and private lands in the greater Bend area. Some weekends, we will travel further (eg: Oregon Dunes Wildlife Tracking weekend, Ochoco National Forest, etc.). All participants will be informed of exact locations and meet-up spots via email before each class.
Transportation?
We will carpool for our classes, using teacher and participant vehicles. We'll coordinate carpooling and rendezvous locations well before each month's class. Students are responsible for their own vehicle expenses and liability.
If I'm paying monthly and skip a class, can I skip that month's payment?
No. If you choose this option, you must pay each month and complete the payment plan by the final course date, regardless of whether you choose to miss any of the classes.
This option is the same price as the full course tuition. However, instead of paying a lump sum up front, students who choose this option pay a portion of the tuition monthly. This option is provided as a way to make the class accessible to those who cannot pay the full cost up front.
Class Size? Homework? Pre-Requisites?
Our courses have a maximum of around 10 students.
Immersions have recommended outside-of-class assignments. They are encouraged but optional.
Immersion pre-requisites:
-Age 18+
-Honor Nighthawk Program policies and respect billing policies and due dates
-Ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly
-Respect for peers and for the mentor-student relationship
-Commitment to clear communication
-Knowing yourself and your abilities, reading all course info carefully, and signing up only for courses that are appropriate for you that you plan on attending
Do I need gear? Hunting license for Survival Immersion?
We recommend being prepared with a daypack. Weather-appropriate layers (non-cotton base layers, mid-layers, and waterproof layers) for inclement winter weather and mountain weather are recommended. We recommend bringing your own camping gear for any camping weekends. Other educational gear is provided by Nighthawk. We have some loaner outdoor gear, as well. Students provide their own food for most meetings, some exceptions.
For the Survival Immersion, we recommend bringing a favorite fixed-blade knife. We have loaners , too.
For the Survival Immersion, you do not need a hunting license, but if you participate in the spring hunting weekend, you'll need one from ODFW.
Questions? Email list signup?
Filling this form will also put you on our email list.