#I have a major phobia of frogs and toads

[maenvs3000]

A Home Away from Home: How Nature Has Helped Me Adjust to City Living

Have you ever felt a strong, emotional attachment to a certain location or environment? Are there people in your life that, through sharing their knowledge and expertise, have amplified these emotions and simultaneously strengthened your relationship to nature and culture? I think most of us would be able to answer this question with a place (or places) and a person (or persons) in mind that have given them this ‘sense of place’. My story is likely similar to many others, in that it started from a young age, and the skills I have acquired continue to impact my life today.

For me, nature was a major part of my childhood and has had a massive impact on my present studies, and my future career interests. Growing up on a farm in southwestern Ontario, my siblings and I spent most of our time outside playing and exploring the vast landscape. One of my earliest memories was going on ‘nature walks’ in the bush that surrounds our property and ‘looking for signs of spring’ – a game that involved hunting for budding on trees, or blooming flowers. This was my first introduction into what would become my lifelong appreciation for nature and my surroundings.

My dog ‘Star’ in a bed of Trilliums while on a ‘nature walk’ in our family bush. Photo by my mom – Joanne Sanderson

This bush is owned by my family, and over the years I have developed an emotional connection to it. We also have tapped maple trees and planted a garden every spring for as long as I can remember. This contributed to my deeper appreciation for what land and nature can provide when treated properly. 

As a child I was my mom’s reptile and amphibian re-locator (I found out later that this was the product of my mom’s extreme phobia of reptiles and amphibians!) and I was OBSESSED with frogs, toads and snakes. We were encouraged by my parents to explore our surroundings, ask questions and, most importantly, have fun! In this way, my parents played one of the biggest roles in interpreting nature and giving me a sense of place at my own home.

Me and ‘Tony’ – a toad I discovered under an outdoor chair.  Photo taken by my mom – Joanne Sanderson.

Me in a tree with my dad while on a walk of our property. Photo taken by my mom – Joanne Sanderson.

However, my parents are not the only people who have given me skills and practises important in natural interpretation. From a young age I was also taken on camping trips every year by my aunt and uncle to various provincial Parks in Ontario. On these trips I learned to canoe, hike, and make the world’s fluffiest pancakes! They taught me about the different constellations, proper campground etiquette and how to read maps and use compasses. These trips were what I looked forward to every summer and played a huge part in giving me the skills to interpret nature and find a sense of place even when unfamiliar with my surroundings.

My sister, Aunt Mary, Uncle Michael and me canoe/kayaking at Killarney Provincial Park. Photo by a friend – Lindsey Bryan

Me, learning to use a compass and read a map at Grundy Lake Provincial Park. Photo by my Aunt – Mary Sanderson

I do, admittedly, feel more separated from nature being a student, and living in a city that I don’t have a deep-rooted connection to (but still love very much!). However, I am very lucky to be living with friends that enjoy hiking and being out in nature as much as I do, and we have made a conscious effort to explore the land and find new trails and areas to walk through. 

My roommates and I hiking at Hilton Falls Conservation Area, in Milton. Photos by my roommate – Claire Gazeley

I have been trying to explore new ways to stay connected to nature while being away from home. Recently, I have begun collecting monarch butterfly larvae in my student house and releasing the butterflies when they emerge (its really fun and easy to do!). This was something I used to do as a child, and it has become a way for me to bring familiarity to a place that was unfamiliar AND it has allowed me to communicate my natural experience to my roommates.

My monarch caterpillar/butterfly ‘Garfunkel’ in my Guelph student house. Photos by me.

I believe it’s the dexterity that I obtained from my parents, and aunt and uncle that has given me the ability to ground myself and find my sense of place regardless of my surroundings.

Some Questions to Consider When Reading

-       In what ways has moving away from your home altered your relationship with your natural surroundings?

-       Have you had to get creative in bringing childhood experiences pertaining to nature into your adult life? 

-       I mentioned that we tap maple trees and grow vegetable in the spring: in what ways has nature given back to you? Are your experiences similar to mine?

[ktrosesworld]

alphabet thingy

I was tagged by the ever inspiring @pipertennant thank you darlin *hugs*

a - age: 3 months less than DT b - biggest fear: frogs and toads ... seriously it’s a major phobia of mine c - current time:  19:19 BST d - drink you last had: tea e - every day starts with: reading fanfic ... it also ends that way too f - favourite song: it changes every day ... today it is Shout by Tears for Fears g - ghosts, are they real:  well my family explains all unexpected door slams and creaks as George the ghost saying hello ... so why not  h - hometown: this is a surprisingly difficult question ... do i say where i was born ... where i’ve lived the longest ... where i’m currently living ... where i feel at home the most ... all of them have a different answer i - in love with:  every one of David Tennant’s characters j - jealous of: the love interest of every one of David Tennant’s characters l - last time you cried: watching Single Father last night m - middle name: it starts with T and ends with T because it is T ;) n - number of siblings: one gorgeous brother o - one wish: that the world will learn to let every person love the person they want to love in the manner they want to be loved p - person you last called/texted: @pipertennant we encourage each other to write and drive each other nuts with plot bunnies ... which we share on TPP when we really want them to be written ... so write us some stories :D q - questions you’re always asked: "Where are you from?” ... especially since I moved to London r - reasons to smile: Campbell Bain ... how can you not smile at that bouncy ball of rainbow sunshine s - song last sang: Shout by Tears for Fears ... it’s really good for cleaning house because you can really yell it t - time you woke up: some time after 8am ... I was reading the Meetings series by @wildwinterwitch until 2am so it was a struggle to stay awake  u - underwear colour: apricot ... life is to short to wear boring underwear v - vacation destination: I’ve been contemplating Sweden lately but I’m always up for an adventure whether near or far w - worst habit:  worrying so much about what might happen that i never do anything ... just in case  x - x-rays you’ve had:  you don’t really want to know do you???? y - your favourite food:  eton mess ... omg guys you really need to try this!!!!! z - zodiac sign: cancer