Copyright 2002
Wilderness Drum, Inc.
All rights reserved

Closer to the Earth
Steve Beyer

Introduction Before you leave home Fears and prohibitions Beliefs Your senses Asking permission Sensory powers Camera walk Being something else Changing perspective "Artist Unknown" Thinking about nature On not naming things Gratitude Gifts from the wilderness Writing about nature Getting close Watching quietly One creature Decomposers Wilderness symphony Competency

Getting Close

We have discussed some of the ways in which we can approach the natural world by using our senses in new and different ways. One way of changing our perspective deserves its own discussion – getting down close to nature. A magnifying glass can be a wonderful companion.

Measure out an area several feet square on the ground. Think of this area as a new world, a different planet. Look at it closely, both with your naked eye and with a magnifying glass, if you have one. Look for signs of life on this planet. What is the weather like? How do the creatures on this planet live, find shelter, protect themselves, get food? What plants live there? How do the plants and animals on this planet relate to each other?

Your new planet, marked out as above, is full of wonders. Huge prehistoric armored creatures balance gracefully on giant leaves. Gigantic centipedes emerge from their caves. The dewdrops are immense diamonds; lichens form sweeping colored plains. Write a journal entry about the wonders of this new world, where you are the first human explorer.

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