Author | Speaker | Musician
Get Connected with Douglas Wood
Author, illustrator, musician, naturalist, wilderness guide, “Minnesota’s renaissance man”… this is Douglas Wood. Doug is the creator of classic children’s books like Old Turtle and A Quiet Place. He publishes critically acclaimed adult titles like Deep Woods, Wild Waters and Paddle Whispers. He visits countless schools, motivating students and teachers alike with his story of going from the “worst reader in the class” who struggled with ADHD and dyslexia, to becoming an international best selling author. And in programs for churches, libraries, nature centers, and civic organizations, Doug communicates through words and music the inspiration to be found in nature—not as a place to visit, but a place to call home.
Contact Doug
NEW ITEMS
Forest Therapy Retreat May 2025: Full Payment
Prices vary depending on lodging selection. Cancellation Policy Contact douglaswoodmn@gmail.com with questions.…
Forest Therapy Retreat September 2025: 50% Deposit
Prices vary depending on lodging selection. EARLY BIRD SPECIAL- Initial Deposit 50% of total cost Final payment due July 11th…
PRE-ORDER A Wild Path
A Wild Path is Doug’s follow-up to his acclaimed memoir Deep Woods, Wild Waters. Once more chock-full of adventures, wild rapids and…
Music
LEARN MORE
Before all the books and the best-seller status, Douglas Wood was, first and foremost, a musician. Today he often performs with his musical ‘family,’ the WildSpirit Band, First Runner-Up in the Minnesota Bluegrass Association’s “Race for a Place” championship. With his trademark humor, ease and magical audience rapport, Doug fronts the band with vocals and expert wizardry on 12 & 6 string guitar, banjo, and mandolin–along with an unmatched ability to tell a story. Old friend Steve Borgstrom adds amazing hot licks and gorgeous supporting parts on the acoustic 6-string; while Doug’s son Bryan lays down the foundation with outstanding work on the bass.
Three part vocal harmonies are the band’s trademark, as they play great American music that comes straight out of the great outdoors–from Appalachian bluegrass to Mississippi blues, from Chuck Berry to Earl Scruggs to a small mountain of sparkling originals.
OLD TURTLE SERIES
Guided Road Scholar trips
UPCOMING TRIPS
Doug guides several trips for Road Scholar each year. Each of them focuses on our human connection to the natural environment–within Voyageurs National Park and the Canoe Country, or in the fabulous Bluff Country of Southeast Minnesota. From birding to paddling to hiking, these trips will reconnect you to the world of wild things, and to the wildness within you.
Some trips may be full–sign up for waiting lists anyway. Spots often open up!
WORKSHOPS
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Writers In The Woods, October 6th-8th 2023, Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center, Sandstone, MN
Join Douglas Wood for an extraordinary weekend writers’ workshop at beautiful Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center near Sandstone, Minnesota. Enjoy peak fall colors in a mature maple/basswood forest. Explore nearly 800 acres of woods, wetlands, streams, and undeveloped shoreline. Bask in the comfort of iconic Schwytzer Lodge (National Register of Historic Places) with its grand old screen porch overlooking gorgeous Grindstone Lake and its fiery sunsets, with the old stone fireplace in the great room for evening gatherings. This special opportunity is for anyone with an interest in expressing themselves through the written word, from beginners through accomplished writers.
