Gary Granger
Instructor of Mindful Walking At Reed, Birding Reed
Email: grangerg@reed.edu
Gary Granger is a life-long practitioner of mindfulness in movement through martial arts and solo exploration of the mountain wilderness--both practices that require intentionality and focus. His study of the natural world has led to a years-long focus on birds, and especially crows and their social behavior. As Reed’s Director of Community Safety for over a decade Gary has moved through the campus’ natural areas daily while observing and documenting the crows of Reed, giving him a deep connection to many microhabitats and the creatures they host. His professional background includes over twenty years of work in higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology, has certified as a Mental Health First Aid instructor, learned how not to get lost while in the military, and most recently his multi-year study of Portland’s winter roost of 20,000 crows unwittingly resulted in him combining his love of mindful walking and birding by logging over 1,000 after-dark miles on the city’s streets since 2017. Gary’s class combines mindfulness in movement with an exploration of how human presence in a habitat influences animals--especially crows, how the flora and fauna influence us, and how our intent influences everything.