Observation: Listening to the Landscape
As you may know the Forest Farm Peace Garden is inspired by permaculture and one of the twelve principles of permaculture is “Observe and Interact”, with emphasis on observing before interacting. In this exercise we are going to build on our observation skills. We are not asking “What can I do with this land?” as we do many times is the garden, but we are asking “What is this land telling me?”
You will ideally need to spend about 20-30 minutes on this exercise. Decide on a site where you will be, it could be your own garden, allotment or a local park or garden, preferable somewhere fairly quiet, but don’t worry if this is not possible. If you need to stay indoors you can just sit by a window or a house plant. You may want to bring a pen and a note book.
Use some time to move around the site on your own in silence. Then choose a spot to sit and stay still. Remember to use all your different senses. You may choose to do some of these different exercises, but probably not all.
Option 1 – Intuitive: What are your first impressions of the site?
1. How would you describe the overall site?
2. Close your eyes: what can you hear, smell, feel?
3. What are the relationships with the neighbouring land?
Option 2 – Objective: Observing rationally and systematically.
You may want to list the following (if you don't know the name of something, describe it):
1. The type of soil.
2. Climate and micro-climate.
3. Water courses and features.
4. Plants.
5. Animals.
Option 3 – Imaginative: visualising this place in other times/states
1. How would this place have looked before humans influenced it?
2. How might it change 3 months from now or 6 months from now?
3. How might it change if humans stopped influencing it?
Option 4 – Sit Spot:
Find a space where you feel comfortable just being there, still and quiet. In this place the lessons of nature will seep in. Sit still and observe as long as you can, preferably at least 10 minutes. It takes a little while for animals to feel safe again to come out. Use all your senses: your vision, hearing, touch, taste, intuitition. Get to know this place really well, the communities of living organisms, the trees. The sit spot itself becomes the home base where you leave your upright human self behind and crawl on your hands and knees to sniff and feel around.
Option 5 – Subjective: How does the genius loci (atmosphere) of this place make you feel?
1. Go wherever you want, and do whatever you feel like...
Option 6 – Connection:
Take your shoes and socks off to feel the earth beneath your feet and just stand somewhere and experience the connection.
Adapted from Patrick Whitefield's session 'listening to the landscape' from the Permaculture Teachers' Guide and https://www.earth-ways.co.uk/sit-spot/
