Poet and professor of geography Maleea Acker led another wonderful afternoon of field journaling at the McLoughlin Gardens on Saturday, August 10th. For the first exercise, Maleea had us find an object from the surrounding environment and do a blind contour drawing. As Maleea explained, the aim of the exercise is to slow down and engage with seeing while letting go of producing an acceptable end result. With a camera we can zoom in and take a picture in a matter of seconds. The question remains, however, how much seeing really takes place in those few moments? Field journaling offers an opportunity to be present and make a record of our experience in a way that captures the feeling of being there. It also allows for an emotional connection, something that requires both time and attention.

The last exercise of the day was an invitation to connect with some plant or feature of the landscape, to sit with it for several minutes and write a poem, addressing it, and then read the poem out loud to the plant, tree, creature, rock or mountain.

Some opening lines from participants’ poems follow:

Hello Wavelet
by Chistina Nienaber-Roberts

Hello Wavelet,
I admire your ability to shape-change
To peek up, then disappear
quietly beneath the surface (...)

The Dark Spotted Cobble
by Keith Roberts

You beautiful sphere
What a journey you've had
Born in the heart of a long dead star (...)

Distant Coastal Mountains
by Margaret Huff

Well, distant coastal mountains across the strait.
I've been eyeing you some years, avoidantly,
Seeing summer snow caps gradually gone.
Before you the sea laps, seemingly oblivious to your now dark peaks (...)

Viper’s Bugloss
by Margo McLoughlin

The bee comes to you
and I do too.
I love your unpretentious
sway and tilt
your casual display
of softest shades of blue (…)