Connecting with the trees in Ngunawal Country - Tracking daily gratitudes
A guest blog post by Tracey Benson, Canberra, Australia
Connecting with the trees in Ngunawal Country is a documentation of a local walk which I have taken on an almost daily basis since the outbreak of COVID-19. The walk is a loop around Ginninderry Creek and is a popular gathering place for birds, frogs and other species including human, particularly after the rain.
Connecting to nature and to Country through mindful walking is also about connecting to self. It is a chance to both check-in to how our bodies are feeling while also being able to ‘check out’ the daily happenings in our local treescapes and waterways.
When I walk, I consciously give my gratitude and thanks to the Elders and First Peoples for taking such good care of these lands over so many thousands of years. The word Ginninderry is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning ’sparkling’ or ‘throwing out little rays of light’. It is an apt name for this creek which sparkles and twinkles as it makes its path towards the river.
Our walk is a simple loop, crossing the creek over two bridges.
As per the above link, I have been developing a media rich track over the past weeks, ever since the COVID-19 restrictions have limited our mobility outside our local area.
As part of the Urban Tree Festival, I will present this walk as a different kind of experience for remote audiences by presenting a guided meditation via Zoom. This will give participants a different kind of remote experience as they are led into a mindful space, one which is experienced by reenacting the walk. Guided meditation has been an element in my creative practice since 2014, when I developed an audio guide as part of a walking project that explored local bushwalk trails.
Like the map created in Viewranger, the focus is on the details - markings on local trees, many of which are native species to the region, recording the river flow, bird song and other features of this location.
Background
I used a combination of the Viewranger app for recording the route with some photos and captured more sound and image from my mobile device. Although following the same path, I deliberately focus on different details each day during the project. On the ViewRanger trail route, you will be able to experience some of the audio as well.