Navigating Home
magnetic fields, adopted diving ducks, & a creative compass
When I was about 11, my mom headed out to an estate sale in search of treasures. She came home that afternoon without a curious vase or interesting chair - only a small cardboard box with pencil sized holes jammed into the sides. She handed it to me with a mischievous smile, and as the weight shifted, I heard a soft “peep”.
Inside was a duckling with mottled layers of brown downy fluff and the cutest tiny webbed feet. I ran him outside and set him down in the overgrown grass. He looked up at me with his camo fatigue feathers and bright eyes and began trailing me. Tight to my heels, he followed me… everywhere. In his brief cardboard isolation, his slate was wiped clean. Seeing my enthusiastic face - he had imprinted on me. I was now the mother of a diving duck I proudly named Rambo.
We spent the summer swimming in the itchy lake weed, taking turns diving & popping back to the surface. In autumn, as a tough little teen, he bravely befriended the canada geese that frequented the lake we lived on. Then our first frost arrived - and the birds began to migrate.
Rambo spent less time with us and more time with his canadian bros, until one day he was gone.
The following spring, the geese returned one gaggle at a time. Using our lake as a rest stop on their way north. The quiet water would fill with honking feathery friends and then empty again. One group had an odd-man-out: a rusty brown duck amidst the black banded geese. It was Rambo 🥹
For the next few years we saw him, spring & fall, with the same group of migrating geese. He had found a new family, and a new pattern for life. But somehow, Rambo managed to find his way “home”.
How this crew pinpointed our tiny lake was a complete mystery.
Was he leading the geese to us?
How do birds migrate anyway?
navigation by feel
Billions of birds make the move each season - driven by shifting daylight, food availability, and changing hormones. They use the sun, wind, & star patterns as wayfinding tools. But the most fascinating piece of the migration puzzle is how they literally feel their way home.
Birds are tapped into the Earth’s magnetic field. Like finely tuned compass needles collaborating in midair, often in complete darkness.
Magnetoreception is the ability of certain organisms to detect and respond to magnetic fields for navigation, orientation, and mapping.
To find their way, birds need to know which direction to head & where they are on the planet. Luckily they have a physiological compass & map:
The Compass: special proteins in the bird’s eyes called cryptochromes give them the power to see the magnetic field. This ‘quantum vision’ focuses on electrons sensitive to magnetic angles.
The Map: Many species have tiny magnetite crystals in their beaks or inner ears. This magnetic mineral reacts with the earth, physically pulling on cell membranes alerting the bird to where it is in space.
Every migration season, an epic number of birds are moving vast distances. Tracking memories, guided by intuition & iron. Feeling their way home.
Do humans have these same magnetic super powers?
Some of us are “good at directions”, some can’t tell left from right.
Turns out humans do have cryptochromes in our retinas. But instead of acting as a compass, they act as a clock. Helping regulate our circadian rhythm. Our navigation is less about magnetic fields and more about experience.
learning the way
Spring semester ended just in time for Mother’s Day. Like my diving duck, our son is stopping in for a seasonal rest. He found his way home without magnetite crystals, a map, or GPS. Instead, he used muscle memory. Directions learned & repeated until they feel like instinct.
It made me wonder: do young birds innately know how to migrate or do the adults show them the way?
Turns out, it depends on how social they are. Most small songbirds migrate solo knowing intuitively where to go thanks to genetics. But larger, more social birds must be taught their routes. Parents, cousins, or friends show them the way - teaching directions by example.
Geese take it further, by flying in formation. A crisp arrow pointing towards their destination. The lead bird captaining the flight, acting like a plow lifting wind currents so the others can draft behind.
I’m picturing Rambo earning the lead position with his adopted canadian family proudly symmetric behind him. His magnetoreception fixed on his substitute human mother.
navigating by creativity
Creativity is my compass & creation is my map.
I’m drawn to materials that challenge me to trust my instincts. Processes that I’m not fully in control of. Ones that allow me to get in the flow. If you’ve taken one of my fiber art workshops, you’re familiar with embracing the unexpected. That listening to what your materials want to do is more powerful than mastering how to force them. Natural dyes, botanical prints, wool painting, living sculptures all respond to this thoughtful communication.
And in the act of creating, we discover a deeper lesson. When you navigate by creativity, you engage with the present moment, and find stillness in the noise of everyday life.
If these musings add value to your week,
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workshops near you
Happy Mother’s Day everyone (I see you Dog Moms & Plant Moms)
If you’re still hunting for the perfect gift, consider giving an afternoon of creativity. My workshops are beginner-friendly, all materials included, and everyone goes home with a piece of art. It’s not too late to grab a workshop seat as a Mother’s Day gift or to treat yourself!
need a printable gift voucher? reply to this email and i’ll send you a pdf
see you in the studio 💛
workshops in California
So stoked to officially have some new workshops at Mystic in Mill Valley this June! I hope you’ll join me at one of these or another pop-up class while I’m in Cali.
🌸 Wool Landscapes June 27 | MYSTIC
🌸 EcoPrinted Patterns June 28 | MYSTIC
workshops in North Carolina
New workshops at Ten Mile Farm & SAHC are in the works for July & August. Sounds like folks are interested in more Ecoprinting, Shibori, & Indigo. Message me with any requests. Let’s get creative!
👉 Interested in hosting a workshop at your home or business? Reach out
Visit my website for up-to-date workshop details
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