Yesterday I walked the transect line and as happened before the land took me in hand. Being taken in hand happens often, especially when I set out with the intention to gather ‘measuring information’ about how the croft land is changing from felled sitka spruce plantation.
I start off taking photos and recording numbers of species and then something happens and I’m sinking deep into step with the land’s own song line. This is a joyful, belly warm and connected place to be. It’s like I start off with my box of skills and tools and then the land plays trickster and moves them into action in unexpected ways. What do I mean by that? When I come into relationship with the land a kind of emergence happens. I experience feelings of timeless aliveness. I love how this opportunity to tennant a woodland croft has afforded me the space to tend, not just a piece of land but tend relationship.
Back at home I read back over my days work and find I’ve recorded – a stand of wild raspberry swaying like a clumping of school children singing at harvest festival; unknown insect zigzagging between grass and moss so fast I could only catch illuminous movement; grasses, yellow trefoil, bramble and reeds hugging a three year old willow in a glorious sun drenched stook and finally left the line to follow a trail, lie down in a deer lair eating brambles while working out what the ravens are saying.
#workwithnature #designfrompatterntodetail #acceleratesuccession #valuediversity #observeandinteract