Learning From Nature

We are privileged to live and practice in Western Australia amongst its amazing biodiversity, I feel extra lucky to be able to teach students to see through time, to understand the connected stories of geomorphology, geology, hydrology and vegetation. I do this by taking them on a bushwalk for my Plants and Landscape Systems unit.

Last week I was kicking myself after our class as one of my students had asked why we were going on the walk and my immediate response was “Just for fun!” then I added “umm, it’s a walking lecture that highlights changes in vegetation due to specific location within the landscape.” I was expecting fewer students to attend because these days nearly all of them find difficulty juggling jobs, study and (their screen dominated) life.

To my surprise all the students turned up and thoroughly enjoyed the walk. They enthused that they could recognise the genus of many plants that they had studied in the city, they marvelled at the diversity of species and flowers and how obvious the changes in vegetation were. But most of all, they LOVED being in the bush. They asked for more bush walks, not just because it was enjoyable, but because they loved learning about how nature worked and felt more connected to the land because of it, it made them FEEL good. This enthusiasm highlighted to me how few young people get out to wild nature and do not feel courageous enough to instigate bushwalks.

The reason I introduced this walk into the unit is because I believe that as designers of landscapes, we need to study how nature works and feel a connection to the landscape that was here before urban development, industry and agricultural clearing. In this way we can develop a deeper understanding and respect for what ‘was’ and then imagine what ‘could be’. Through design we can then connect daily urban lives back to nature by expressing a sense of place.