Writing in Nature: 26 January 2024

 

A beech tree stands out in the muted woods

My focus for this year is to improve my writing skills which I hope to put to good use in a project about kith (a familiarity with one's home turf). You probably already see that there is vast room for improvement! Floracliff Nature Sanctuary has been offering the perfect opportunity for practicing with sessions called,  The Natural Word: Nature Journaling at Floracliff. Instead of sitting down, looking and sketching we are invited to sit down, sense and write. Carol Spence is our guide for these sessions. We had a fun session with a small, but very preceptive group, walking and journaling on January 26th.

Here are my observations:

A bit of wandering before we settle down to write

We are sitting in the woods after a bit of wandering to gather our wits for perception. The scene at first glance displays as somewhat dreary with cloudy skies after a couple of rainy days and snow before that. But, actually, my overwhelming feeling is that there is a riot of texture and an infinite layering of seasons and years all gathered together here in this place; this sanctuary for letting nature be. 

A surprising number of trees are down. Carol tells us that many are ash trees that weren't treated in time as they are on Floracliff's recently acquired tract of land. Thus, in a quick scanning I see that life exists in full spectrum, from being alive to feeding the future. Meanwhile, even as a golden spider is dashing by my feet, I hear the trucks on the nearby interstate running on life that was teeming eons before. 

I am sitting on one of the downed ash trees. It is a very comfortable perch! The leaves at my feet form a deep bed of swirling shapes composed after landing from their graceful flight on high. Red and white oak leaves stand out, their form elegant as their stems twists and their rounded or pointed tips twirl. Designers' inspiration!

Exuberant moss and delightful lichen adorn the woods

Winter has the best colors. The soft taupe backdrop is the perfect setting for oak and beech leaves still on the tree. Those leaves are the color that the deer will return to when the bambiis make their appearance in spring. Close observers in our little band of wanderers spotted not just one, but two, lichen-carrying green lacewing larvae. These lacewing larvae are known for carrying 'debris' that is on hand, such as lichen. The beautiful gray-green-blue lichen stands out in this part of nature far from the sea shore. It is a beautiful sea glass green abundantly observable in the winter woods. Carol pointed out how the moss has really 'blossomed' after the recent snow and rain. It is true that the intense green of the moss demonstrates an inability to hold back on life as its lively 3-D nature is well revealed right now. Green seedlings dot the blanket of leaves. Blades and tiny leaves are everywhere in the midwinter landscape. The overall effect is of a gentleness. A few days before we had snow and bitter cold. Today it is mild enough as to be unnoticeable. Just now, the wind has picked up and I am able to experience the satisfying susurrus* (the rustling sound leaves make in the wind). It joins an aural composition with crows, wrens, woodpeckers and jays. 

I am sitting in a juxtaposition--so many trees I couldn't count them, and yet, I hear the jets overhead and the interstate traffic. We live in a hybrid world. The resourcefulness and connectedness surrounding me let me know that nature will always be. 

* You may watch my short video about susurrus.