The Tree with Spines

In September 2009 I attend the 7^th Wilderness Therapy Symposium in Boulder, Colorado where I presented Natural Awareness to a group of wilderness therapists from all over the world. During my six hour workshop I took a group through Meet a Tree. One of the members in the group was from South Africa who I shall call David as I watched him moving through the forest blindfolded it became clear to me that there was some resistance within him to engage in Meet a Tree. He made several attempts to find his tree however; he kept heading in the opposite direction from his tree.

It is important to beware that the activity is not always about finding a tree; it is very much about exploring who we are and looking at the situations that are presented to us within the game and our relationship with self in nature. While people are taking part I am watching them very closely, I am looking at their body language and I am checking out their energy and where I feel it is appropriate I intervene in a very supportive way. I usually ask them what is going on for them, what are they feeling and what can they relate that feeling to, together we explore their response to the questions and what they feel the answers to their experience/feelings might be.

When we have done exploring and they are happy to continue I then get them to refocus by carrying out a small exercise and asking them to tune into their tree by feeling it with their heart, then I set them off again. Their sight-guide in the meantime is observing the whole process from 5m away and in my experience they are without doubt are gaining lots of insight about their partner and more importantly about themselves during this time.

Once David was happy he set off again, this time taking a direct line to his tree which was a good 50m away and required him to move through a cathedral of trees to get to it. I observed him continually trying to get to the trunk of his tree through some very long branches; these branches were all located on one side of the tree, reaching from the ground upwards, the other side was relatively clear of branches.

As I watched him trying to connect with his tree, an image of hedgehog's spines came to me.
At the end of the activity we processed people's experiences of the activity. I asked David if the branches had anything to do with his life right now. He replied yes, and went on to say that his family were dumping all their problems on to him, he felt this was because he was the only non-addict within his family and that he no longer wanted their problems, he wanted to push them away and the long branches were an expression of how he feels about them, as he explained this he was clearly quite emotional about his situation.

I have no idea how David got on, on his return to South Africa and do you know what, nor do I need to know as I have learnt to let go and trust that things will work out for the greater good. I am not here to fix people. I am but a small part of their journey and that for me is an honour and a privilege.

The Tunnel of Silence, where is the Sparrowhawk?

I was teaching a lost track drill session while over in Sweden last week. When I became aware of a flock of song birds singing joyously in the tree tops, I suspected they were Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra). As Peter got close to locating one of the lost tracks, the birds suddenly fell silent, so silent it was deafening.

I stepped back and looked up expecting hoping to see a Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) sailing through the air, in hot pursuit. Nothing, I looked around and in the distance I clocked a flash, plugging into the long grass on the far side of the bank.

Photo by Miguel Lasa

As it took off and turned towards our side of the track it was clear for all to see, it was of course a Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). I have never experienced the tunnel of silence with a Kestrel, only ever with a Sparrowhawk.

The silence remained for a long time. And only after the Kestrel moved off from its tree top advantage point, did the songs begin again.

The Treecreeper visited my Sit-spot...

A Sit-spot is a place where you can sit in silence and spend time alone. But are you really alone? This is a place to allow your senses to take in your surroundings. Sitting still and being quiet is very relaxing, but perhaps not the easiest skill for some to master. With children I usually start with a fifteen minute sit-spot and building it up to a maximum of twenty minutes, depending on how much time I have with my group.

With adults I get them to spend up to an hour in a sit-spot. However, for their first time I would normally get them to do a twenty minute sit-spot. I ask them to be aware of how insects behave around them; and how does their presence affect the wildlife around them, are they setting of alarm calls from nearby birds which, in turn, alert other animals.

This is known as a ‘concentric ring.’ The longer you stay in a Sit-spot the more the animals will become aware that you mean them no harm and the more they will visit you, and the more you will become aware of your surroundings and the events that take place within it. By staying still and quiet and by changing how you are feeling you will find that wildlife will no longer recognise you as a typical human. As your energy settles down, animals will begin to come closer to you, thus presenting you with an opportunity for some amazing close encounters with nature.

On one occasion I had a Treecreeper fly straight towards me and land in the tree directly above my head where I was sitting for my sit-spot at Tom Brown’s Tracker School in the States, in all my years of bird watching I have never experienced such an event.

At the same time a Red Squirrel was calmly eating a nut within a few feet of me, and only when I changed my energy, by switching back into my head with excitement as the Treecreeper alighted directly above my head, (the Treecreeper was so close I could feel its tail feathers on my hair) did the squirrel realise I was there and alarmed and moved off slowly so as not to draw attention to its self.

This was a very powerful moment for me as were many of the other activates Tom had us do throughout the course.

Sailing to South Georgia

While serving in the Falklands, I had the opportunity to sail down to South Georgia some one thousand miles from the Antarctic. Ten days sailing (round trip) on the Grey Rover, I spent the majority of my time out on deck bird watching popping inside every so often to drink hot sweet tea and then back out on deck again. Everyone on board thought I was mad.

I saw many wonderful things, like awhole bunch of pilot whales which ran into the bow of the ship, and there were the Tunny fish way off in the distance, a cross between a mackerel and a tuna fish. Plenty of birds were to be seen like, Black-browed and Yellow-nosed Albatross and there was one way of in the distance that reminded me of a B52 bomber namely the Wandering Albatross, what a magnificent bird to behold sailing effortlessly over the waves. One day we had a Wilson's Storm-petrel land on board; it was amazing to be able to hold such a delicate bird in my hands.

We sailed past Bird Island docking later at Grytviken, South Georgia. I went for a walk along the coastline to take a closer look at a glacier when I came across a Weddell Seal just lazing away on the beach; what a moment that was to be so closed to a wild animal. The seal seemed to be just as curious about me as I was about him or her.

The whaling stations on the Island were something else, even though they had been abounded many years previously, there was still an eerie feeling to the place; you could imagine the whales being dragged up the slopes to be prepared for human needs. I also had the privilege of being in the presence of Earnest Shackleton's grave, and strangely enough, buried close by to his grave was an Argentinean Officer.

There was one evening on board ship it started to snow and as I watched it come down I realised that the snow was settling on the sea I had never seen this before, the snow remained for a long time on the surface of the sea. There were of course ice bergs everywhere from small to ones that dwarfed the ship, I even got to see an ice berg flip over 180 degrees.

I had three attempts to get to South Georgia as I was hoping to see the 4.3 million King Penguins that breed there, alas it was not meant to be, but none the less I had a wonderful time and to have the privilege to experience something that very few people on this earth will ever get to see and for that I am very grateful.

All photos by Geoffrey:

Looking out from Shackleton's grave at the Grey Rover and Grytviken in the distance.