Aspiring and experienced nature writers are invited to join Whitefield author Andrea Lani for a reading from her book “Uphill Both Ways: Hiking toward Happiness on the Colorado Trail” and a nature writing workshop at Hidden Valley Nature Center on Saturday, June 18 from 1-3:30 p.m. Participants will meet at the parking area at 1:00 and walk the half-mile to the Barn, practicing clearing their minds and opening their senses along the way. At the Barn, the group will seek inspiration in the natural world through exercises designed to hone observation skills, sharpen senses, and deepen one’s relationship with nature.

Exploring the area around the Barn, as a group and on their own, attendees will observe a natural object closely, working their way from description to metaphor, from metaphor to memory, and from memory to emotion. Through this process, each person will generate a short poem or vignette and come away with a practice for close observation and writing that can be used anywhere.

At the end of the workshop, Lani will give a short reading and sign books. A copy of “Uphill Both Ways” is included in the price of the workshop, which is $25 for Midcoast Conservancy members and $30 for non-members. For more information and to register, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events-list/writing-from-nature-workshop.

Hidden Valley Nature Center is located at 131 Egypt Road, in Jefferson.