NATURE IS LANDSCAPE NATURE?
Reya L, Aurora M, Ethan J, Mason F, Yvonne N, Joseph B, Theodore K
CONTENTS
01 - Cover Page 02 - Contents Page 03/04 - Chapter One: The Unknown World 05/06 - Chapter Two: The Changing Landscapes 07/08 - Chapter Three: The Friends We Meet 09/10 - Chapther Four: The Nature of Life and Death 11/12 - Chapter Five: The Signs of Previous Life 13/14 - Chapter Six: The Art of Responsibility 15/16 - Chapter Seven: Nature is my Friend
The child excitedly crossed into Brownhill creek, seeing all kinds of nature fill up the landscape in front of them. Rushing down the steep walking path, they saw the morning dew still hanging onto the blades of grass, heard the calls of all kinds of wild birds announcing the day ahead. The child was overwhelmed by all the new information to take in, trying to decipher what was happening around them. They were unsure of all what was happening but knew that they had walked into a different world from what they had previously known. Undisturbed by the child’s presence, the birds and bugs continued their daily routines and moved freely through the landscaped they called home. Their calls echoed through the sweeping landscape, showcasing the scale of the space and letting the child know that they were but a small part of the world. Looking around, the child was unsure where to go, focusing on the muddied track carving its way through the landscape ahead of them.
03 CHAPTER ONE - THE UNKNOWN WORLD
04
05 CHAPTER TWO -
The winding path showed obvious signs of wear, with aged footprints lining each side of the path in front of the child. As if ushed on by these footsteps, the child followed the path deeper into the landscape. The child’s small footsteps were dwarfed by the footsteps of the hiker’s that they were following, guiding the child through the overgrown and luscious fields of grass encroaching upon the walkway. The child enjoyed jumping onto the fallen sticks, listening to the echoing sound of the branches cracking under the child’s weight. As the path winds its way towards the riverbank, the child sees the edges of the path become faded as the constant flow of the rushing water eats away at the land mass in front of them. The child stops at the bank, entranced by the movement of the water in front of them, seeing the fragmented reflection of themselves in the murky creek. Edging ever closer, the child hurries back to safety after the soft mud moves underneath their feet, startling the child. Snapping out of their trance, their eyes return to the path ahead, seeing a towering tree close by, calling out to them to investigate further. THE CHANGING LANDSCAPES
06
07 CHAPTER THREE -
The child ventures further down the path, noticing for the first time the vastness of the canopy above them. The trees are ageless compared to them, with scars and scratches from eons braving the elements. They look up higher, and see a rustle in the leaves, a movement of something they had never seen before, a grey fuzzy mass hidden behind a branch. It grunts. The child steps back startled. What could this be, what would be in the tree. The fuzzy mass rounds the branch and reaches for a bundle of leaves. The child looks closer, it’s round fuzzy ears and little black nose seem too cute to be scary. The koala munches on the eucalyptus leaves, unknowing that the child stares at it in wonder, trying to understand it existence. Maybe it lives in the tree, just like the birds that perch in the branches of the trees back home. THE FRIENDS WE MEET
08
Looking down from the koala, the child notices a hollow log laying amongst the underbrush. It lays off the path but their curiosity gets the best of them and they are drawn over to explore. The child feels upset, the poor tree can’t be ok if it’s on the ground. Approaching it they can see the log breaking apart into the earth, bark and splinters laying around it, barely distinguishable from the ground. They make their way up to the side of the log and glance inside. Small mushrooms and fungi litter the ground, thriving in the shade of the hollow, pulling nutrients from the fallen log they make their home in. They grow amongst the littered bark and splinters, breaking them down and transforming the landscape of the forest floor. The child realised that the mushrooms need this log to survive, and that the breaking down of this log is needed to let other things grow. They stand back up and take a step away from the log, the mushrooms are cool little guys, but they must get back to the path to continue their journey. THE NATURE OF LIFE AND DEATH
09 CHAPTER FOUR -
10
11 CHAPTER FIVE - THE
After accomplishing the tree climb, the child then continues through the lush Brownhill creek, processing all the large rocks that peer above the water. Even at their tender young age, the child realises that the larger rocks break the flow of the long river stretching across the landscape. Most of those rocks are naturally placed, but there is some organised to create a pathway. The child stands still, contemplating whether it is a good idea to cross this partially man-made bridge. Old enough to understand some parts of nature may be fragile but not quite old enough to instantly think of a strategy to safely move past the obstacle. The fear of one of the rocks slipping under their feet and being caught into the ravenous river stream, suddenly shivers down his body, pressuring him to begin stepping back, just as a grasshopper starts moving towards the pathway. The bug effortlessly jumps over the bridge. Stunned buy this realisation, the child beings slowing moving back towards the stream faster and faster, enough to jump across the river stream. The second his feet left the damp grass, time seemingly slowed down until he landed right back into reality, stumbling onto his hands and knees. Gasping for air the child’s eyes dart around as the fall slightly disturbed the serenity of the park. However, he notices a grey meshy bridge that looks largely more secure and less dangerous to cross. Although the initial fears almost held the child back, this feeling of accomplishment gave him a far better feeling than certainty. SIGNS OF PREVIOUS LIFE
12
Bolstered with bravery, the child continued on the bridge. As they walk steadily, they look down at the swishing waters of the river and notice a white thing moving in the water. Their tiny eyes widen as it nears closer, slowly being carried by the current of the river. Finally, when it passes right under their eyes, they see that it’s only a white plastic bag. But the bag gets caught on something and the child is very curious to see what stopped its movement. He runs to the bank of the river right where the culvert is. A small frog is struggling to move but is entangled in the bag. The child becomes very sad and quickly tries to stretch their little hand while careful not to get wet. But their hand is too short to reach the plastic bag. Determined to save the little helpless animal, the child looks around and quickly grabs the nearest stick. When the plastic bag is finally out of the frog’s way it jumps away happily and a sudden warmth fills the child’s heart. They are very happy the frog is safe and free. They run to the bin to throw away the plastic bag, far from where it won’t harm any more animals.
13 CHAPTER SIX - THE ART OF RESPONSIBILITY
14
The shadows that once sat at the foot of the looming trees, now grow, elongating along the ground, speckled with the crisp leaves that the child’s curious footsteps once walked on.
CHAPTER SEVEN - NATURE IS MY FRIEND
15
Noticing the growing darkness taking over the landscape, the child feels increasingly aware of their significance and impact on the landscape. Retracing their steps back to the river, they contemplate the feeling of insignificance in a landscape as extensive as this. However, while passing the swift currents that troubled the small frog, entangled in the plastic bag, the child re-considers their agency in the world. Walking along the bridge, interwoven steel supports the child’s journey through the topography, saving another effort of courage to leap across the rocks in this growing darkness. Stepping back onto the soft soil, they consider the role that they play. Without the support of this manipulated metal, a much more treacherous journey would have awaited his quest home. Despite being a later addition in the timeless scenery/terrain, it does not take away from the landscape instead creating a focal point in the repetitive tessellation of the trees. Reaching the stump that houses the family of fungi, he sees a glow dancing on the tips of the peeling bark. Alarmed at the thought of fire, they are taken aback, eyes still on the orange hue as it consumes what is left of the chipping wood. This glow is filtered through the breaks in the leaves, a soft glow saturating specks in the landscape. Now back on the path, that once invited them into the warm embrace of the scenery, the child comes to a conclusion that despite being a later introduced piece of life’s never-ending puzzle, man-made objects are not something to exile from the natural world. Provided the character of nature isn’t overshadowed or suffocated by the monotonous grayscale of manmade structures, landscape can be broadened to include aspects that otherwise would not exist.
16
