Logbook 1 (Assignment for College)

I want to share the paper I wrote in college since I am very proud of it<3

The theme was just about our special interests ^-^

  Since I was a young child, I played in the forest and explored the textures, smells, and constantly changing colours. This served as a form of therapy throughout my teenage years, as I struggled with anxiety and lacked a way to express it. During early childhood, when I went to the trailer in northern Ontario, I explored the outer edges of caves and savoured the burgundy trilliums. I jumped through leaves, collected acorns and rocks that I found pretty, and brought them home to create art and patterns with the treasures of nature. The smell of fall leaves always reminds me of that time in my life. As I grew up in Newfoundland, I spent my after-school hours in the forest across from my home. I began birdwatching and enjoying new textures, such as raindrops on leaves and animal tracks in the mud. I started building structures when I discovered an abandoned fort with a tarp that had fallen off, and I spent many evenings climbing trees and listening to the sounds of different animals. One evening, while I was tracking large hoof prints in the mud, I came face to face with a moose. It was the biggest creature I had ever seen; its legs were as tall as I am, and its body was the size of a small car. From what my uncle had taught me about moose body language, I observed its ears flicking back and forth as it sensed my intentions as well. I made sure not to make too much eye contact and backed away slowly while still facing this beast. Once it was out of sight, I bolted through the trees and eventually reached a field that led to the weather station across from my house. That winter, I discovered my passion for nature photography; I saw my first woodpecker and my first owl. I walked across frozen lakes and ponds, capturing any animal I encountered with the camera my parents gave me for Christmas. Photography initially served as an excuse to get away from home, but now it has become my escape. Today, I use nature to ground myself. I enjoy identifying wild plants and tasting the edible specimens I encounter. Finding stumps adorned with moss and mushroom sprouts, I feel a sense of belonging in these spaces. The animals are acquaintances, and the insects are allies. As I walk away from the city, the freshness of the surrounding plants draws me in deeper, allowing me to become one with the forest. The air grows cooler beneath the canopies; I touch everything in my path and listen for a hermit thrush to sing its melodic tune. Constantly making new discoveries and photographing them, I endure the mosquitoes biting my skin, as if I am their snack—just as I nibble on a plant. Nature's sensations provide us with unique experiences; the scent of pinene from evergreens, the petrichor following rain, and the musky-sweet aroma of decaying leaves evoke feelings that are difficult to articulate. The soft, damp texture of moss, the dense and rigid bark of trees, and the rustling of leaves in the wind all stimulate our memories and senses. I strive to weave the soul of nature into my photography, to unlock and showcase the profound textures that whisper stories of life and beauty all around us.