From Guardians of Ga'Hoole: A Guide Book to the Great Tree

The Making of a Guardian

Honor, virtue, kindness, purity of heart… of course those are all ingredients that to into the making a Guardian of Ga’Hoole.  But becoming a Guardian requires, beyond all the intangible qualities, a proper education. 

When Hoole founded our Great Tree, he realized that there was an infinite number of things to be taught and to be learned, and that this learning, beyond all the magen in the world, would make the tree great. And so, he introduced unto owlkind the chaw as we know it. During King H’rathmore’s reign in ancient times,  owls came together for sport, skills, and learning in small groups called chaws. The chaws of today come together in much the same way, to hone their skills and pass on their knowledge to any owls who wishes to learn, regardless of species or background, but today, the scope of our teaching is much broader. For those of you not yet fortunate to be in study at the great tree, I have listed some of the courses now taught here.

Chaw Fundamentals:

All young owls of the tree begin their education with Chaw Fundamentals.  These classes are required, and must be completed before owls are chosen for their chaws. The material taught in these classes is of utmost importance, knowledge that every Chaw member should have. Plus, owls are introduced to a wealth of things that become indispensable later in their lives. In fact, it was in my basic navigation class that I first encountered a book by my illustrious ancestor, the renowned weathertrix, Strix Emerilla.

Now that I am a ryb (even though I have chosen to dispense with the title in day to day life, like many others have before me), I get such joy from seeing owlets learn new skills for the first time.  Oh, to be young again… to be so open to possibilities.  In these pre-chaw classes, young owls get a chance to figure out which chaws they might like best, while the rybs scout out those who show special talent for their own chaws. Sometimes, an owl knows right away in her gizzard which chaw is right for her. Other times, an owl’s calling takes her by surprise. I remember when I, along with the Band, were about to be chaw tapped.  Twilight knew from the start that he was perfect for Search and Rescue, and sure enough, that’s the chaw that he was tapped for.  I, on the other hand, thought for sure that I would be tapped for the Navigation chaw.  Oh, how I absolutely, positively, categorically adored my navigation classes with Strix Struma.  Instead, I was double chawed in Colliering and Weather Interpretation. It was a disappointing moment.  Well, actually, to be perfectly frank, I was frinked off for quite a while about that one.  But, it all worked out for the best in the end. Now, I know that I was meant for those chaws, and I couldn’t have made a better choice myself.

Remedial Flight Lab and Power Flight (For Weak Flyers Only)
Taught by the distinguished ryb Poot
All newly arrived young owls to the Great Tree must be evaluated by a team of rybs for flight proficiency. Those deemed weak flyers will be required to attend remedial flight lab.  This course teaches the fundamentals of sound flight: basic flapping; upstrokes; downstrokes; power lift-off; wing control, air carving, basic steering; and flying in formation.  After three sessions, owls are re-evaluated for fitness to move onto other coursework.

Beginner Search and Rescue Techniques
Taught by the distinguished ryb Twilight
Strong flight skills are crucial to search and rescue efforts.  This course will teach advanced flying skills including effective high-altitude and low-altitude circling, diving, emergency landings, and in-flight object retrieval. Owls will go on real reconnaissance missions and deliver oral and written reports to their classmates. Partner work will also be covered, as all search and rescue operations require owls to work in pairs.  With the ryb’s approval, some owls will be introduced to battle claws, and be taught to fly with them.

Winds and Things
Taught by the distinguished ryb Ruby
Wind and flight are intricately linked. Knowing how to fly in different types of wind and how to use wind to one’s advantage are two things that set the owls of the Great Ga’Hoole Tree apart from other owls. In this class , owls will be taught to fly in turbulent winds and harsh weather conditions.  The structure of a storm, including thermals (warm updrafts), gutters (the main trough of air in a strong wind), scuppers (where the edge of the winds of gutters pill over), swillages (where scuppers meet still air), and baggywrinkles (the shredded air currents that lay between the scuppers and the gutter) will be covered. Everyone in this class will be required to fly in at least one small storm.

Introductory Celestial Navigation
Taught by the distinguished ryb Gylfie
In this class, owls will be taught to look to the sky to plot their course of travel.  Students will be asked to recognize key stars and constellations in the Hoolemere region, and how they related to land mass locations at different times of the year. The course will present opportunities to go on as many night flights as possible.  Owls will also fly with the navigation chaw for observation and to participate in simple tracing exercises.

Basic Care and Maintenance of the Great Tree
Taught by the distinguished ryb Otulissa
The Great Ga’Hoole Tree has been home to millions of owls over the last several millennia. It is our duty as Guardians to make sure it continues to thrive. In this course, owls will learn how to maintain a symbiotic relationship with the tree. A significant part of the course will be devoted to practical exercises including pellet burying, vine trimming, and pruning. Each owl will also be required to write two essays, and two pop quizzes will be given at the ryb’s discretion.