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By WARREN RESEN, Member, Florida Outdoor Writers Association

MEDICINE BOW, GA — Soundlessly gliding though the woods looking for tracks, broken twigs or spoor or standing motionlessly and sniffing the air for tell-tale orders, Mark Warren closes in on his prey.

Up in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in northern Georgia outside of Dahlonega in an area known as Medicine Bow, yes there is such a place east of the Mississippi, is a man with a mission. He is imbued with an understanding and love of nature that even most Native Americans have lost.

More formally Mark Warren calls his facility, “MEDICINE BOW - A School of Nature and Wilderness Survival in the North Georgia Mountains.” Medicine Bow is not just a school but a way of life. Tucked away on 35 heavily wooded acres near the Chattahoochee National Forest, students of all ages are guided by Mark toward their own unique relationship with nature and themselves.

Whether you are a hunter or nature photographer, being able to target a species by the signs they leave, where they live, what they eat and how they move puts you ahead of the competition. If you are a hiker or camper, knowing the woods, potential natural food supplies and survival techniques could be a life saver.

But then Mark is much more than just someone imbued with a single passion. His passion and knowledge inhabits all of his many diverse areas of interest and expertise. His love of Mother Earth, and all of its creatures, both plant and animal is the core upon which everything else he does is based. When describing Mark Warren’s abilities and interests, a listing would take up too much space and to some it might seem implausible. After all, who would believe any one could be so talented in so many areas. To me though, he is a modern day Renaissance Man.

Mark is a lifelong student of nature and Native American lore. After graduating from the University of Georgia with interests in art, chemistry and pre-med, he served for 10 years as a naturalist/environmental educator for the Georgia Conservancy and 17 years as wilderness director for High Meadows Camp. With this background he branched out into many areas.

Teaching is his passion and he offers visitors/students to his school programs that run from one day, a weekend or a week covering an extensive curriculum. Learn canoeing from a man who was 5 times the Dixie Division Open Canoe Slalom Champion and won the U.S. National Champion in the Slalom/Downhill combined. Learn archery and bow and arrow making from the man who won the 1999 men’s division of the World Championship Longbow Tournament.

Mark’s many workshops are open to the public at Medicine Bow, but he also takes his lessons into school classrooms. A favorite with the students is his program about Native Americans and how they lived with nature.

Some of his areas of expertise which he teaches include wild foods and medicinal uses of plants, survival skills including starting of fires the old fashioned way, botany, ecology and conservation. Most of the lore, learning and crafts is based on the earliest inhabitants who set foot upon the land that is now North America, how they survived, learned to live, be self sufficient and one with the land.

Then there is the wonderful time out for story-telling around the campfire. Mark tells about Native American myths and lore, and the American frontier.

So what other talents does Mark Warren encompass that causes me to call him a modern day Renaissance Man? With all of his many outdoor talents, he is also a musician playing the guitar and piano. He has written scores for professional plays in Atlanta and had one of his symphonic works performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

In 1980, Mark designed and taught Georgia’s first statewide environmental/education workshops for public schools. For this the National Wildlife Federation honored him as Georgia’s Conservation Educator of the Year. And then there are the books and articles. Mark has authored at least eight books.

To learn more about Mark Warren and his school and how you can participate, go to www.medicinebow.net