Nature Publication

lost in nature NOT ALL THOSE WHO WONDER ARE LOST. SARAH SORDELLI

DDD 30013 Publication Design Sarah Sordelli Printed by Impact Digital, 4/306 Albert St, Brunswick VIC 3056 Typefaces used Headings: The Bold Font - Bold Body copy: Roboto - Light Pull Quotes: Didot - Italic Paper stock/gsm Front / Back cover: 240gsm Inside Pages: 220gsm Swinburne University of Technology School of Design Published and Printed in Melbourne, Australia for the School of Design 2017 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from Swinburne University of Technology.

Declaration of Originality Unless specifically referenced in the bibliography, the mark and all other material in this book is the original creation of the author. While very effort has been made to ensure the accuracy, the publisher does not under any circumstance accept any responsibility for error or omission.

Copyright Agreement I agree for Swinburne University to use my project in this book for non commercial purposes, including: promoting the activities of the university or students: internal educational or administrative purposes: entry into appropriate awards, competitions and other related non commercial activities to show my work in lectures and as an example for future students online and face to face and in lectures. In some situations, this may involve re-purposing the work to meet the requirement of Swinburne’s use. I agree to grant to Swinburne exclusive worldwide, non commercial, irrevocable and free of fee license to use this project produced in DDD30013 in any way for non-commercial purposes.

Signed: Sarah Sordelli Date:

lost in nature

CON TENTS

S

01 Introduction into publication and meaning of publication.

02

03 - 04 CHAPTER ONE OUR SPIRITUAL CONNECTION What does nature give us?

Quote Page Our spiritual connection to nature Connecting our community with the natural word Quote Page The importance to nature Reasons why forest adventures

05-07 08 09-12 13-16 17 18 19-20

21 - 22 CHAPTER TWO A WALK THROUGH FORESTS Differences betweeen forests, woods and jungles Kinglake

Masons Falls Redwood Forest Quote Page References

23-24 25-30 31-38 39-48 49-50 51-52

INTRODUCTION This publication is about nature photography. In more detail, what does nature give and mean to us?

It is about the importance of nature, the true meaning behind it and our spiritual connection to nature and why it is so important.

This publication is to inform and provide significant knowledge about nature but also going into more detail about why nature matters to us and its importance. The information will be represented visually with photography, imagery and the use of typography and overlay. Personal experiences and adventures will be within this publication as a way to show true connection between nature and us unique individuals.

To wander is to move about with no destination or purpose. Wandering is a physical activity, though the word is sometimes used figuratively for nonphysical actions that are aimless. To wonder is to feel curiosity, to be in doubt, or to have a feeling of admiration.

The verb also bears the less commonly used sense to have a feeling of awe.In either sense, wondering is a mental activity.

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Introduction / 02

OUR SPIRITUAL CONNECTION

03

02

CHAPTER ONE. This first section goes into the crucial meaning of nature.

Nature helps us in many ways and in this section it will go into great detail of what those aspects are. We have a solid connection to nature, also in a spiritual level. As a part of nature, forests are also very important to us. Why are forests are important to us? Lets find out.

04

Nature.

What does it give us?

The importance of nature.

There is no question that Earth has been a giving planet.

Everything humans have needed to survive, and thrive, was provided by the natural world around us: food, water, medicine, materials for shelter, and even natural cycles such as climate and nutrients. Yet we have disconnected ourselves from the natural world that it is easy and often convenient to forget that nature remains as giving as ever, even as it vanishes bit-by-bit.

There is no physical substance humans require more than freshwater. Without water we can only survive a few hellish days. While pollution and overuse has threatened many of the world’s drinking water sources, nature has an old-fashioned solution, at least, to pollution. Healthy freshwater ecosystems watersheds, wetlands, and forests naturally clean pollution and toxins from water. Soils, microorganisms, and plant roots all play a role in filtering and recycling out pollutants with a price far cheaper than building a water filtration plant. According to research, the more biodiverse the ecosystem, the faster and more efficiently water is purified.

Imagine trying to pollinate every apple blossom in an orchard: this is what nature does for us. Insects, birds, and even some mammals, pollinate the world’s plants, including much of human agriculture. Around 80% of the world’s plants require a different species to act as pollinator. In agriculture, pollinators are required for everything from tomatoes to cocoa, and almonds to buckwheat, among hundreds of other crops.

Globally, agricultural pollination has been estimated to be worth around $216 billion a year. However large such monetary estimates don’t include pollination for crops consumed by livestock, biofuels, ornamental flowers, or the massive importance of wild plant pollination.

The ground under our feet matt l homes for plants, while participating in a number of natural cycles: from recycling nutrients to purifying water. Although soil is renewable, it is also sensitive to overuse and degradation often due to industrial agriculture, pollution, and fertilizers. Natural vegetation and quality soil also mitigates excessive erosion, which can have dramatic impacts from loss of agricultural land to coastlines simply disappearing into the sea.

Humankind has turned to the rivers and seas for food for at least 40,000 years but probably even longer. Today, amid concern of a global fishery collapse, more than a billion people depend on fish as their primary source of protein, many of them among the global poor. Fisheries also provide livelihoods, both directly and indirectly, for around half a billion.

Coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass ecosystems provide nurseries for the world’s fisheries, while the open ocean is used for migrating routes and hunting even with the direct importance of the world’s fisheries for food, stewardship

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Kinglake nature.

has been lacking, allowing many populations to drop precipitously and still permitting ecologically destructive fishing. While the world’s fisheries are primarily threatened by overfishing, including by catch, marine pollution is also a major problem.

Much like pollination, many of the world’s plants require other species to move their seeds from the parent plant to new sprouting ground. Seeds are dispersed by an incredibly wide-variety of players: birds, bats, rodents, megafauna like elephants and tapir, and even, researchers have recently discovered, fish. Seed dispersal is especially important for tropical forests where a majorityof plants depend on animals to move.

Nature is our greatest medicine cabinet: to date it has provided humankind with a multitude of life-saving medicines from quinine to aspirin, and from morphine to numerous cancer and HIV-fighting drugs. There is no question that additionally important medications perhaps even miracle cures lie untapped in the world’s ecosystems.Imagine if Shakespeare had no rose to compare Juliet to, or if William Blake had no Tyger to set alight. Imagine if Van Gogh lacked crows to paint or Durer a rhinoceros to cut. What would the Jungle Book be without Baloo or the Wind in the Willows without Mr. Badger? Imagine My Antonia without the red grass of the American prairie or Wuthering Heights without the bleak moors. How would The Lord of the Rings film series appear without the stunning mountain ranges of New Zealand, or Lawrence of Arabia without the desert of North Africa?

The first step in connecting your body with nature is realizing that you are nature, not separate from but an integral part of it all. Your body is made up of all the same elements, minerals and energy that makes up the planet. Many quantum physicists and scholars believe that everything in the outer universe is a reflection of our consciousness and our body.

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There is no question that the natural world has provided global arts with some of its greatest subjects.

What we lose in nature, we also lose in art.

And though it’s true we are nature-beings, we can still fall out of alignment with our natural selves. Wellness is essentially being in tune with nature and aligning ourselves with the inherent wisdom that is within us all. At a certain time of night, for example, we get tired. That’s the body’s natural circadian rhythm at work. Whether or not we choose to go to sleep at that time, however, is up to us. And not listening to our body’s (often blatant, but sometimes subtle) cues could be the difference between health and sickness.

The rise of technology and industry may have distanced us superficially from nature, but it has not changed our reliance on the natural world: most of what we use and consume on a daily basis remains the product of multitudes of interactions within nature, and many of those interactions are imperilled. Beyond such physical goods, the natural world provides less tangible, but just as important, gifts in terms of beauty, art, and spirituality. The natural world helps regulate the Earth’s climate.

Ecosystems such as rainforests, peatlands, and mangroves store significant amounts of carbon, while the ocean captures massive amounts of carbon through phytoplankton. While regulating greenhouse gases are imperative in the age of climate change, new research is showing that the world’s ecosystems may also play a role in weather. A recent study found that the Amazon rainforest acted as its own ‘bioreactor’, producing clouds other imporant and precipitation through the abundance of plant materials in the forest.

The importance of forests cannot be underestimated. We depend on forests for our survival, from the air we breathe to the wood we use. Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests also offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change. Yet, despite our dependence on forests, we are still allowing them to disappear.

All the activities listed above directly or indirectly involve forests.

Some are easy to figure out fruits, paper and wood from trees, and so on. Others are less obvious by-products that go into the manufacture of other everyday items like medicines, cosmetics and detergents. Habitats for biodiversity and livelihood for humans but looking at it beyond our narrow, human, not to mention urban, perspective, forests provide habitats to diverse animal species, and they also form the source of livelihood for many different human settlements as well asfor the governments. A mature lowland forest consists of several layers.

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Nature

is considered to be sacred and needs no changes by mankind.

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Our Spiritual Connection to Nature

While some of what nature provides us is measurable, most of what nature gives us is simply beyond measure. Economic measurements are useful; but as with most of what happens in the world, economics is simply incapable of capturing true worth.

Science is also a useful measurement regarding the importance of nature, but once again cannot measure what nature means practically and aesthetically to each creative individual.

One of the most difficult gift of nature is to measure is its ingrained connection to human spirituality. In most of the world’s religions the natural world is rightly revered. In Christianity, Earthly paradise existed in a garden, while Noah, the original conservationist, is commanded by God to save every species. Buddhists believe all kind of life from the smallest fly to the blue whale is sacred and worthy of compassion.

For Hindus every bit of the natural world is infused with divinity.

Muslims believe the natural world was created by Allah and only given to humans as gift to be held in trust. Indigenous cultures worldwide celebrate the natural world as their ‘mother’.But one need not be religious to understand the importance of nature to the human spirit: one only need spend time alone in a shadowy forest, sit on a forgotten beach, touch the spine of a living frog, or watch the quarter moon swing behind the mountain silhouettes.

Nature is a wonderful thing. We get everything from nature: metal, brick, material. Nature gives us so many things to write about: its life, its warmth and many things more.

The house you live in and everything in it was once a part of the earth and the clothes you wear come from nature too. Another thing about nature is the wonder and beauty it brings. Nature is an all-round good thing, it helps us make the materials to use as construction or for every day things. Love nature, appreciate nature and all the things which it has to offer to you. An intimate relationship with the environment is built into the human psyche.

Historically, nature, mountains, rivers, trees, the sun, the moon have always been honored in such ancient cultures. It’s only when we start moving reallty fast away from our connection to nature and ourselves that we begin to then polluting and destroying the environment. We need to learn to revive these attitudes that foster our connection with nature.

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Kinglake forests.

Chaper One - Our Spiritual Connection / 10

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If you observe nature, you will see that the five elements that form its basis are opposed to each other. Water destroys fire, fire destroys air. Then there are so many species in nature, the birds, reptiles, mammals and all these different species are hostile towards each other, yet nature balances them out. We need to learn from nature how to balance opposing forces, both within ourselves and in the world around us. We need the rain forests to produce oxygen and clean the atmosphere to help us breathe. We also know that the earth’s climate can be affected, as well as the water cycle. Rainforests also provide us with many valuable medicinal plants, and may be a source of a cure from some deadly diseases.

The realities explored in science and spirituality are often assumed to be unrelated to one another. Both find their basis in a spirit of inquiry. Modern science is objective analysis, while the spirituality world is subjective understanding. Science explores the outer world with a series of questions beginning with the basic query, “What is this? What is this world all about?” while spirituality begins with the question, “Who am I?”.

Our relationship with nature has historically been one of imbalance and overuse. Nearly every step in human history has unfortunately been accompanied with a leap in the environmental degradation. At first, humans were incredibly in-tune with their surroundings. Nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes used to roam the lands, following the ebb and flow of the seasons. These tribes had a measurable impact on the environment, but their influence was relatively manageable due to their population size. With advancements in technology and agriculture though, humans began to find more efficient ways of sustaining themselves. These advancements allowed for more permanent settlements, which led to a rapid population growth and a distancing from nature.

Forests pump out oxygen we need to live and absorb the carbon dioxide we exhale (or emit). A single mature, leafy tree is estimated to produce a day’s supply of oxygen for anywhere from two to 10 people. Phytoplankton are more prolific, providing half of Earth’s oxygen, but forests are still a key source of quality air. Nearly half of all known species live in forests, including 80 percent of biodiversity on land. That variety is especially rich in tropical rain forests, from rare parrots to endangered apes, but forests teem with life around the planet: Bugs and worms work nutrients into soil, bees and birds spread pollen and seeds, and keystone species like wolves and big cats keep hungry herbivores in check.

Kinglake, road.

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CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE NATURAL WORLD Compared to the hotspots of biodiversity found in more northern states, it is easy to forget about a state such as Victoria, has its natural wonders.

Yet those of us living in Melbourne or rural Victoria share this region of Australia with an astonishing variety of wildlife. A company called Wild Melbourne, seeks to bring these forgotten wonders to the light, and to always educate our community about our local ecosystems.

Their non-profit organisation is designed to help and is dedicated to the protection of our environment and to teaching people the importance and majesty of native species and landscapes. Our aim is to enhance the Victorian public’s understanding of native Australian wildlife, science and environmental matters, as well as contribute to our community’s broader appreciation of Victorian ecosystems.

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We wish to assist people like you in developing a broader appreciation of the natural world by bringing that world closer to you.

Why? Because the world is beautiful. It is astonishingly complex and astoundingly diverse. Wild Melbourne seeks to educate people throughout Victoria so that they may be better equipped to understand and appreciate this world. In the face of pressures such as habitat fragmentation, overfishing, elevated greenhouse gas emissions and a soaring human population, our community needs to work together to ensure a healthy future for those who will inherit this beautiful world. This means working together to protect and preserve our native ecosystems, as ultimately it is the environment that underpins

Kinglake forests.

Masons Falls.

our economy and our health. Wild Melbourne is dedicated to teaching members of our Victorian community about the natural world so that they may understand and come to appreciate it.

We believe that with such an appreciation, our society may come to value and protect our environment for the sake of current and future generations. We depend entirely on a healthy natural environment for our wealth and well-being.

It is fundamental to our economy and social structures, our lovely homes and neighbourhoods, our ability to create, build and construct things, and to our health and to create happiness.

In fact, researchers estimate that less than 1% of the world’s known species have been fully examined for their medicinal value.

However the ecosystems that have yielded some of the world’s most important and promising drugs such as rainforests, peat swamps, and coral reefs are also among the most endangered. Preserving ecosystems and species today may benefit, or even save, millions of lives tomorrow. Imagine poetry without flowers, painting without landscapes, or film without scenery.

Human beings are part of the natural world; we are one species amongst millions and have evolved to be part of nature, not apart from it.

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Forests can be managed effectively without endangering rare species of plants and animals and without risking a global environmental damage. Companies that harvest timber should not be allowed to “clear cut” large areas of forest and should be required to plant new trees after they cut really old trees down.

People tend to wonder through forests as an escape from their everyday world. It has seen to be that there are many forests that people go too. There are powerful benefits to spending time in forests Various studies have shown that simply walking within a beautiful forest setting in a mindful state, or doing exercise in the woods, reduces stress and enhances the sense of wellbeing.

However, forests fulfil a much bigger role thansimply that of a buffer for modern-day stress; they also enhance our spirituality, by providing the backdrop against which we project the ‘basic patterns’ of our psyches. We need the rain forests to produce oxygen and clean the atmosphere to help us breathe. We also know that the earth’s climate can be affected, as well as the water cycle. Rainforests also provide us with many valuable medicinal plants, and may be a source of a cure from some deadly diseases. Governments should create large parks and reserves where hunting and logging are not allowed.

As a world community, we must be careful not to destroy the resources that people will need in the future. Forests such as Kinglake Forrest, Masons Falls in Kinglake and Redwood Forrest that I have been to myself and I would like to share my personal experience.

There are many people who believe if we talk to plants that they will thrive, and there are lots of people who feel that everything on the planet is alive, even the rocks, water, and the air around us are alive.

And everything contains a powerful vibrational energy that we call life or dare we call it love. Forests are our land’s trees and plants that cover a third of the earth’s surface symbolized by the color green in the common definition of environmentalism.

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nature

always wears the colours of the spirit.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS

The importance of forests cannot be underestimated.

We depend on forests for our survival, from the air we breathe to the wood we use. Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests also offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change. Yet, despite our dependence on forests, we are still allowing them to sometimes disappear.

All the activities listed above directly or indirectly involve forests. Some are easy to figure out fruits, paper and wood from trees, and so on. Others are less obvious by products that go into the manufacture of other everyday items like medicines, cosmetics and detergents. Habitats for biodiversity and livelihood for humans but looking at it beyond our narrow, human, not to mention urban, perspective, forests provide habitats to diverse animal species, and they also form the source of livelihood for many different human settlements as well as for the governments. A mature lowland forest consists of several layers.

European settlers entered the Kinglake area in the hope of striking it rich. Shafts and diggings around the park are evidence of the gold mining days, but the gold fields were not very rich and soon timber cutting replaced mining in the importance. Rainforest trees are quite different from trees of temperate forests. In the rainforest, trees grow to gigantic size, supported by strong, strut-like buttresses at the base of the trunk that help to stabilize them in shallow forest soils. Huge creepers twine themselves around the trunks of trees.

Trees and forests are sources of human inspiration and enjoyment – even from afar. Trees are a symbol of life, and in our modern times, of a movement to sustain the environment that all people depend upon. Polling

by The Nature Conservancy shows that more than 90 percent of Americans report that trees give them a feeling of peace and tranquility.

The top layer of vegetation consists of scattered tall trees which tower above a closed canopy layer formed by the form crowns of other trees that are out there. The canopy is the most exciting part of the forest; it is here that most of the flowering and fruiting of the trees takes place, attracting a variety of spectacular creatures. Forests cover a third of all land on Earth, providing vital organic infrastructure for some of the planet’s densest, most diverse collections of life. They support countless species as well as 1.6 billion human livelihoods, yet humans are also responsible for widespread deforestation, clearing millions of forested acres every year.

A large platform and viewing area with seating and informative signs make this a lovely, if exposed, place for a long rest, some lunch or simply to drink in the view.

The walk itself should take about 40 to 60 minutes, but there is plenty to see and listen for, so expect it to take longer.

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reasons why forest adventures are good for you

Adventures give us pleasant memories, which we often bring back to the forefront of our minds for reminiscing.

This means that our journeys “marinate” awhile, an especially valuable exercise these days when we’re all so perpetually busy that most of what we do passes by in a flash and is gone forever without having any real meaning attached to it. But reliving our adventures again and again allows us the time and capability to learn something from them.

Going on adventures raises your tolerance for ncertainty.

Placing yourself in situations where things don’t always go as planned such as on an adventure trip helps you learn to cope with the uncertainties in life. And there is no shortage of those. Adventure travel lets you safely “try on” alternate lives. One of the best things about embarking on an adventure is that you can shed your familiar skin for a while and pretend to be anything you want to be before you actually take a drastic and permanent step.

When you get dirty, you improve your physical health.

Scientists have recently reported that our modern obsession with cleanliness might be leading to a rise in allergies, asthma, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Getting dirty could just be the best path to developing a strong immune system. Going on adventures means getting dirty and healthier. Outdoor activities can prevent (or treat) a wide range of health problems.

Doctors around the country are now handing out “park prescriptions” for conditions ranging from heart disease to obesity to attention deficit disorder. Adventure travel takes park prescriptions to the next level.

There are no age limits on adventure. Anyone can make nature a playground. Adventure travel is an activity you can stick with for life. Research indicates that hiking or walking grows brains. Typically, your hippocampus gets smaller once you hit your mid fifties, leading to memory loss. But a group of middle-aged adults that took three, forty-minute walks a week for a year grew their hippocampi, on average, by 2 percent, which could improve their retention for years. Hiking adventures will keep you mentally sharp.

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Adventure travel feeds your dreams and builds your confidence. No matter how many steps it takes to get there, the one thing that’s certain about traveling to spectacular nature spots is that it soon becomes very addictive. Experiencing one wilderness just doesn’t seem to be enough; your soul quickly calls for more. And each time you go, you find yourself changing. Adventures build your confidence; and with each successive one, you challenge yourself just a little bit more. There are risks when going to forests or site seeing places that you have never been before but that is what comes with adventures and not knowing what is going to happen next but it can be quite interessting.

Adventure travellers may be more important than ever for saving the world. Some scientists warn that in nine years’ time (or less), global warming will become impossible to reverse, triggering accelerated climate change. If they’re right, a group of individuals within the general public is going to have to come forward and upgrade their environmental efforts, if the world is to survive. That select group of people just may turn out to be adventure travellers: those who typically venture beyond the envelope in the outdoors.

Adventure experiences remedy a societal ill. When saying that, a loss of adventurous children and the extinguishing of wanderlust. Today, the United States is facing what some have described as an epidemic: the loss of the adventurous childhood.

Masons Falls, walkway, steps to forest.

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a walk through forests

21

CHAPTER TWO. This second section is still on the topic of nature and forests and the influence it has on us. Knowing the difference. A personal experience and adventure is explored and presented. An introduction of Kinglake Forest, Mason Falls Forest which is also located in Kinglake and Redwood forestand its impact it has to the public.

22

The difference in

Forests, woods and jungles

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Kinglake, forest / trees.

The word 'forest' means a royal hunting ground, which is why they are usually larger than woods. Woods can be just a few trees, whereas a forest is usually much larger and denser, both in trees and vegetation.

Woods, forests and jungles are three distinct ecosystems that are often confused by children and adults alike. While all involve trees and wildlife, there are differences between the three, especially between the deciduous, temperate forests and the jungles of the tropics. They are also home to different kinds of animals, birds and insects.

A wood is an area covered in trees, larger than a grove or a copse. A forest is also an area covered in trees, but it is larger than a wood. The trees in woods and forests grow thickly, and the space between them is overgrown with grasses, shrubs and under brush. The U.S. National Vegetation Classification system differentiates them according to their densities: 25 to 60 percent of a a wood is covered by tree canopies, while 60 to 100 percent of a forest is canopied.

While the dictionary does not give further distinguishing information, historically woods and forests were not the same thing. In English history, woods were simply areas covered in trees. Forests, however, were similar to modern wildlife preserves. They were places where deer and other wild creatures could live and wander freely, protected by the king’s laws. Forests were not necessarily woodland at the time; heaths and pastures could also be forests, if they were designated areas where wild animals were under the king’s legal protection.

Woods, forests and jungles are all full of life, but woods and forests are home to a different set of animals than jungles are. Woods and forests are populated by animals such as deer, bears, mice, chipmunks, squirrels, owls and weasels. Jungles are inhabited by snakes, monkeys, macaws and crocodiles and a multitude of other creatures.

Jungles and rain forests and wsupport more species of animals, plants and insects per acre than any other places on Earth.

There are many reasons why forests are an important feature for the environment and in our daily lives. They are fundamental life forms and provide for the continuity of the world’s biodiversity which is necessary for economic development, diversity of life forms, human livelihood, and environmental adaptive responses. Forests are mainly important because they stabilize climate, regulate the water cycle, and provides habitat to thousands of life forms. Below are the leading reasons signifying the importance of forest.

One thing that most people take for granted is the fact that we are truly part of nature and that nature reacts to our mind and the spiritual development.

Jungles are like woods and forests in that they are covered in trees, but they are also full of vines, flowers, bogs, fungi and a vast array of animal and insect life.

Jungles grow in tropical regions like Africa, South America, New Guinea and parts of Australia. They are damp, dense, thickly canopied forests with different kinds of plant life than those found in the woods in other temperate regions like England and the American Northwest.

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KING LAKE Kinglake walk through forest.

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KINGLAKE 1419 Whittlesea Yea Road Kinglake West, Victoria, Australia

Kinglake was actually named after British historian Alexander William Kinglake, whose eight-volume history of the Crimean War had recently been completed. Kinglake is comprised of forest, farmland, a national park and a strong community driven township. The Kinglake Ranges, part of the Great Dividing Range, vary in height from 525 m - 610 m above sea level and many areas of Kinglake overlook the Melbourne skyline to the south west and the Yarra Valley wineries to the southKinglake National Park is a popular local attraction and is the closest national park to Melbourne. It has walking tracks for day hikes anwd camping grounds for overnight stays. Several popular and beautiful picnic areas are available around the perimeter of the national park.

Another pleasant nearby camping and outdoor spot is the Murrindindi Nature Reserve, running between the township of Toolangi and almost all the way to Yea. Recommended means of entrance is via the Melba Highway, 9 km south of Yea. Kinglake Forest Adventures is about respecting, valuing and nurturing our natural environment and experiencing the type of recreation pursuits that have developed over the years. It’s also about taking the time to appreciate the enjoyment and peace the majestic outdoors can deliver.

Kinglake Forest Adventure deliver inspirational school camps that develop leadership, well being and resilience.

At the end of this walk, you are rewarded with spectacular views of an impressive gorge and 45-metre waterfall.

The volume of water cascading over the cliffs is highly dependent on recent rainfall, so the best time to see it flowing is in late Winter or in Spring. The incredibly sheer mudstone walls are actually fossilized seabeds from the Silurian geological period, and are filled with the fossilized marine life of the time. Kinglake Forest Adventures is about respecting, valuing and nurturing our natural environment and experiencing the type of recreation pursuits that have developed over the years. It’s also about taking the time to appreciate the enjoyment and peace the majestic outdoors can deliver.

It is owned by Colin and Michelle French, and is a local family business. It’s a new tourism operation and includes the camp and accommodation business previously known as the Kinglake Ranges Wilderness Camp, a 120-bed group accommodation and adventure activity business predominantly for school camp programs.

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Kinglake, forests.

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Kinglake, forests, walkways and views.

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The first thing you need to know about Kinglake there is no lake!

Kinglake National Park is a popular local attraction and is the closest national park to Melbourne. It is the sky high thrills of swing bridges, soaring flying fox and free fall jumps; the exhilaration of hurtling (or turtling) over rugged tracks, zipping down valleys or cruising forest tracks with all-terrain mountain biking; and it is the rejuvenation of being surrounded by nature, connecting with your tribe and meandering with local wildlife.

Kinglake Forest Adventures Camp’s key difference is our ability to seamlessly blend wellbeing and personal development outcomes into age appropriate traditional camp experiences.

Kinglake Forest Adventure deliver inspirational school camps that develop leadership, well being and resilience.At the end of this walk, you are rewarded with spectacular views of an impressive gorge and 45-metre waterfall. The volume of water cascading over the cliffs is highly dependent on recent rainfall, so the best time to see it flowing is in late Winter or in Spring. The incredibly sheer mudstone walls are actually fossilized seabeds from the Silurian geological period, and are filled with the fossilized marine life of the time.

The decision to open to individual and small group adventure seekers was fuelled by a desire to see more people outdoors and experiencing the forest for the first time. A day out in nature can be a deeply personal experience and spending an enjoyable yet exciting day at Kinglake Forest Adventures will be a memorable day.

Since the intense 2009 fires in Kinglake National Park, many plants adapted to fire are flourishing. In spring, keep an eye out for wildflowers in bloom, while winter is a good time to discover fungi, mosses and lichens.

Many people around the world go on adventures in forests and enjoy site seeing. It can be an escape from an everyday life and somewhere to go with friends for new experiences and adventures. Going on adventures fosters reflectiveness, a mental skill often in short supply today.

A large platform and viewing area with seating and informative signs make this a lovely, if exposed, place for a long rest, some lunch or simply to drink in the view. The walk itself should take about 40 to 60 minutes, but there is plenty to see and listen for, so expect it to take longer. In operation for 70 years, the entire camp was completely and heartbreakingly destroyed by the Black Saturday fires in 2009. The French family rebuilt the Kinglake Ranges Wilderness Camp by 2011.

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masons FALLS Masons Falls walkthrough bridge.

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Masons Falls Masons Falls Rd, Kinglake West VIC 3757

Masons Falls is located in Kinglake National Park. This Masons Falls Circuit is a pleasant hike through the regenerating bush that clearly shows the impact of the Kinglake fires. Masons Falls Walk (700 metres one way) leads to the spectacular Masons Falls lookout.

There are large parts of the track that did seem to escape the tragic fires. Plus the Masons Falls are quite spectacular, and worth the visit. This version starts at Masons Falls Picnic Area. Take the marked trail to the falls, only a short distance away. After viewing that, follow the trail to Running Creek. It will then follow this before climbing very steeply up Mt Sugarloaf.

At the junction with the Sugarloaf Ridge Track you can turn right to follow the trail to the top. The top is a good place for a lunch break. Then retrace your steps to the junction, but continue down Sugarloaf Track to the first car park at the entrance. This version of the trail took Wallaby Track to re-join the falls track to then return to the car park. But you can elect to take Boundary Track.

The nature reserve allows the lighting of campfires and contains several waterfalls that can be reached by way of the moderately difficult walking tracks.

Another pleasant nearby camping and outdoor spot is the Murrindindi Nature Reserve, running between the township of Toolangi and almost all the way to Yea. Recommended means of entrance is via the Melba Highway, 9 km south of Yea. At the end of this walk, you are rewarded with spectacular views of a really impressive gorge and 45-metre waterfall. The volume of water cascading over the cliffs is highly dependent on recent rainfall, so the best time to see it flowing is in late Winter or in Spring.

The incredibly sheer mudstone walls are actually fossilized seabeds from the Silurian geological period, and are filled with the fossilized marine life of the time. A large platform and viewing area with seating and informative signs make this a lovely, if exposed, place for a long rest, some lunch or simply to drink in the view. The walk itself should take about 40 to 60 minutes, but there is plenty to see and listen for, so expect it to take longer. It is best taken slowly and quietly, to improve your chances of observing the active bird, reptile and insect life abounding at the site.

Masons Falls, creek.

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“

Mason Falls is promised to have remarkable views and the chance of encountering lyrebirds!

The walk itself should take about 40 to 60 minutes, but there is plenty to see and listen for, so expect it to take longer. It is best taken slowly and quietly, to improve your chances of observing the active bird, reptile and insect life abounding at the site.

We met thornbills, fairy wrens, currawongs and butterflies, as well as being treated to the calls of two male lyrebirds, among countless other species. The first half of the walk is actually part of the Lyrebird Circuit: a gentle loop amongst lush, wet eucalypt forest. Extremely dense post-fire growth (erupting after the 2009 fires devastated the region) makes it impossible to see far off the track. However, delicate fungi, moss and lichen at the edges reward those with a keen eye, and there are many small forest birds to be enjoyed here.

In Winter, male lyrebirds stand atop scraped mounds and display to females, making this a great time to visit and be sure of at least hearing their calls. The song we heard included the mimicked calls of currawongs, magpies, wrens, kookaburras and three species of cockatoo, not to mention countless calls that we recognized, but could not identify. As you rise out of the valley and head towards the Falls, the track passes out of the lush, moist forest and into dry, scrubby bush.

An information board pinpoints the exact moment you move from one vegetation class to the other, and explains that the change is due to declining soil fertility as you move up the incline. Heading to the Falls, there are several somewhat-steep hills. However, the path is wide, well-maintained and includes a handrail, ensuring that the destination is really easily accessible.

The Outdoor Foundation reports that youth participation in outside activities has declined for three straight years andwhen parents over schedule kids and insist on being involved in every one of their activities when they become “helicopter parents” they kill a child’s desire to explore. The spark for wanderlust goes out, permanently.

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Masons Falls, waterfall and walkways.

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The first half of the walk is actually part of the Lyrebird Circuit: a gentle loop amongst lush, wet eucalypt forest.

Heading to the Falls, there are several somewhat-steep hills.

However, the path is wide, well-maintained and includes a handrail, ensuring that the given destination is really easily accessible. Extremely dense post-fire growth (erupting after the 2009 fires devastated the region) makes it impossible to see far off the track. However, delicate fungi, moss and lichen at the edges reward those with a keen eye, and there are many small forest birds to be enjoyed here.

In Winter, male lyrebirds stand atop scraped mounds and display to females, making this a great time to visit and be sure of at least hearing their calls. The song we heard included the mimicked calls of currawongs, magpies, wrens, kookaburras and three species of cockatoo, not to mention countless calls that we recognized, but could not identify.

As you rise out of the valley and head towards the Falls, the track passes out of the lush, moist forest and into dry, scrubby bush. An information board pinpoints the exact moment you move from one vegetation class to the other, and explains that the change is due to declining soil fertility as you move up the incline. There are lots of rocks beside the path, so on warm days move slowly and focus your attention ahead for the chance of seeing a basking lizard. Unfortunately, the only non-avian animal we saw was a black feral cat, proving just how pervasive this introduced pest has become across our natural areas.

There are lots of rocks beside the path, so on warm days move slowly and focus your attention ahead for the chance of seeing a basking lizard. Unfortunately, the only non-avian animal we saw was a black feral cat, proving just how pervasive this introduced pest has become across our natural areas.

We met thornbills, fairy wrens, currawongs and butterflies, as well as being treated to the calls of two male lyrebirds, among countless other species. just how pervasive this introduced pest has become across our natural areas.

Masons Falls, waterfall.

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REDWOOD forest Redwood Forest, Californian Redwood Trees.

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REDWOOD FOREST Cement Creek Rd, East Warburton VIC 3799

This forest is one of the best kept secrets in the hills is the forest of Californian Redwoods, Sequoia sempervirens, a few kilometres outside Warburton.

The Californian Redwood trees are significant because of the history and extent of the plantation. There are over 1476 trees ranging from 20 metres to the tallest being 55 metres. They are in good condition and as they are planted in a grid are aesthetically pleasing to the eye. They are a contribution to the landscape by the sheer number of trees as well as containing possibly the tallest and most interesting Sequoia sempervirens in Victoria.’ Throughfall was measured by division of the plots into a square grid of 16 positions in each plot. All positions were numbered, troughs placed to collect throughfall, and the measurements carried out weekly. Stemflow involved collecting water running down the stems of selected trees by a collar diverting water into a collection hose at the front, or by a spiral wound around the tree.The main aims of the research were to establish the relationship between vegetation type and water yield, and to evaluate the effect of forest operations on water yield and quality.

Whilst the main focus was to establish data for different types of native forest catchment qualities, conifer plantations were included to give comparative data.You can find this fascinating area by driving through Warburton, following the Warburton Highway until it becomes Woods Point Road. After about 7 km, look for Cement Creek Road on the left.

This is unsealed and a little rough in places, but 0.7 km along you will find a small parking area on the right along a fenceline and small gate barrier. Walk through the barrier and there you are! Some great photo opportunities here.

While walking through the plantation will lead you down to the river where there are walking tracks each way.

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Redwood Forest, Californian Redwood Trees.

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Nestled amongst the Australian bush outside Warburton, Redwood Forest is a strange and enchanting sight. The trees date back to the 1930 when they were planted by the Board of Works. Further plantings took place in the 1960s. The trees were all planted in a grid and were intended to control weeds which had grown out of control following the clearing of the native vegetation. However, they were later used by the Board of Works to study forest hydrology the relationship between types of vegetation and water yield. This was especially important with regards to water catchment areas.

The plantations were selected for experimental purposes as part of the Board’s hydrogrogy research program.

Access is unrestricted but it is really strongly encouraged to treat the area with respect. Sometimes in the redwood forrest you’re not sure what you’ve discovered until you’re standing on it. Beautiful moss and fungi, ferns, river all the way up to the towering trees.

A single mature, leafy tree is estimated to produce a day’s supply of oxygen for anywhere from two to 10 people. Phytoplankton are more prolific, providing half of Earth’s oxygen, but forests are still a key source of quality air. Nearly half of all known species live in forests, including 80 percent of biodiversity on land. That variety is especially rich in tropical rain forests, from rare parrots to endangered apes, but forests teem with life around the planet: Bugs and worms work nutrients into soil, bees and birds spread pollen and seeds, and keystone species like wolves and big cats keep hungry herbivores in check.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide and turn it into wood, where the carbon stays bound up for hundreds or even thousands of years, living forests are an important part of the earth’s climate system. Growing trees soak up CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in their trunks, roots, leaves, and forest soils

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Redwood Forest, Californian Reedwood Trees.

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Redwood Forest.

Californian Redwood Trees.

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The following is information collected by Bob Padula. This is one of many walks that he has collected information about. “The Cement Creek Plantation is of State significance due to its associations with the extensive revegetation program onducted by the MMBW in the 1920s and 1930s, following clearing of areas of the forested catchments through fires and logging.

It is now Heritage Listed within the Victorian Heritage Database. It is located about 8 km east of Warburton, on the Cement Creek Rd, and a small car park is located outside the gated entrance to the Plantation Reserve.

Warburton is a beautiful town, nestled at the foot of Mount Donna Buang and on a lovely sunny day provides excellent views of the surrounding Yarra Valley.

established by the Board of Works from 1930, following clearing of the original eucalypt forest.

By the late 1920s, the cleared areas had become overgrown with scrub and other weeds such as blackberry.

Between 1929 and 1934, exotic conifers were progressively planted, basically as a weed control measure. The species that thrived included Bishop’s pine (Pinus muricata), Douglas fir and also the Californian Redwood. The Redwoods have been planted in perfect rows and they muffle the noise of the outside world - the silence within the forest is quite noticeable. It’s beautiful but weird at the same time, which makes it a fantastic place to explore, photograph, picnic & generally be creative.

There are many places to eat and drink in the town, some providing views of the river. There were over 1476 Californian Redwood trees planted by the Board of Works. These are trees which range from 20 meters to the tallest being 55 meters in height. It demonstrates the scientific knowledge and availability of seed at that time, when the main understanding of mountain ash regeneration was not well developed and the attitude towards revegetation with exotic tree species probably also reflected nineteenth century cultural attitudes towards aesthetic plantings.

The plantations are of particular interest for its use as part of the Board’s forest hydrology research program, established in the 1940s and commenced at Coranderrk in the 1950s. The plantation represents the Board’s utilisation of conifer species already growing in the Cement Creek catchment, in order to acquire comparative data on canopy interception. The conifer plantations in the Cement Creek Catchment were Chaper Two - A Walk Through Forests / 46

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When you step into this forest it’s like stepping onto the set of a fairy tale.

The Board undertook an extensive regeneration program in the Catchments at this time, particularly in areas that were failing to revegetate naturally through destruction by frequent fires. A wide variety of species were used but, in general, the Board utilised the seed and technology that was available for forest regeneration at that time.

Further areas were planted with Pinus radiata, Western Red Cedar and Redwood in 1960-63, and assessed in 1976. While the redwood species grew vigorously, the Radiata pine was of poor quality. The conifer plantations effectively suppressed any understorey vegetation.The plantations were selected for experimental purposes as part of the Board's forest hydrology research program begun at Coranderrk in the 1950s.

The Cement Creek plantation provided small plots in which to study the canopy interception results in comparison with the native forest trees in the Coranderrk area. The main aims of the research were to establish the relationship between vegetation type and water yield, and to evaluate the effect of forest operations on water yield and quality. Whilst the main focus was to establish data for different types of native forest catchment qualities, conifer plantations were included to give comparative data.

The experiments undertaken at Coranderrk and Cement Creek included recording hydrological processes such as throughfall, stem flow and canopy interception. In all, the 1960s-70s program involving Cement Creek included five native forest communities and three conifer plantations. Throughfall was measured by division of the plots into a square grid of 16 positions in each plot. All positions were numbered, troughs placed to collect throughfall, and measurements carried out weekly. The main aims of the research were to establish the relationship between vegetation type and water yield, and to evaluate the effect of forest operations on water yield and quality.

Redwood Forest, Californian Redwood Trees.

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get lost in

Nature

and you will find yourself.

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REFERENCES Text references

Photo captions

http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/ krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/preserve. html

All photography are taken and edited by Sarah Sordelli.

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ deforestation/importance_forests/ https://www.trailhiking.com.au/masonsfalls-circ http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/ kinglake-national-park/things-to-do/ masons-falls-picnic-areauit/ http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ magazine/2009/10/redwoods-earthstallest-trees/ http://www.visitmelbourne.com/regions/ High-Country/Things-to-do/Outdooractivities/Action-sports/Kinglake-ForestAdventures.aspx http://wildmelbourne.org/bushbeats/2015/8/9/mason-fallls-kinglake http://goodnature.nathab.com/tenreasons-why-adventure-travel-is-goodfor-you/ http://www.visitwarburton.com.au/activity/ redwood-forest-cement-creek http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ sri-sri-ravi-shankar/our-spiritualconnection_b_648379.html http://www.worldrainforest.org/thespiritual-and-mental-benefits-of-forests. html https://news.mongabay.com/2011/04/ what-does-nature-give-us-a-special-earthday-article/ http://sciencing.com/differences-woodsforests-jungles-8377449.html

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Photography on pages 8, 15, 16, 49, 50, 51-52 (colour edited by Sarah Sordelli) are sourced from free stock images via www.pexels.com.

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