A very rough sketch of my sit spot compared to an actual photo.

When I envisioned my sit spot, I imagined a place where I would not be a separate entity observing an environment but rather a place where I would be immersed in my surroundings and able to record what I was experiencing. Thus, with an understanding of the conditions I wanted my sit spot to meet, I set out to find the perfect location. Much like an episode of House Hunters, I visited multiple areas that didn’t live up to the expectations I had; however, after trekking around the loop, I finally found an area displaced from foot traffic (and other sounds of the modern era) where I could become engrossed in the environment. My sit spot is settled in a bed of tall, wild grass, and it is positioned next to angiosperms that produce purple wildflowers. The creek is directly west of my sit spot, and its floor was blanketed in a thick layer of sediment, decaying leaves, and algae-covered stones. I turned to my journal and attempted to produce a sketch that mirrored the scene that played in front of me (see sketch above), and I was quickly reminded of why I am not an art major.

The first thing I noticed about my sit spot was how engulfed it was by the local flora. The blades of wild grasses (that stood at nearly half a meter tall) protruded from nearly every surface on the ground. The reach of the wild grass was, however, interrupted by the growth of purple wildflowers; these flowers seemed to grow in groups, with one flower centered around three to five others. It was as if the peripheral flowers were fans crowding around some type of celebrity. Among the bushes of flowers and the clumps of grass, to the north of my sit spot sat a large, wide, and intimidating tree (whose species has yet to be identified). The bark of this tree, a shade of brown that had been slightly tinted white, seemed to replicate an artisan mosaic, as each piece of bark seemed intentionally placed amongst the others. To the south of my sit spot, two narrow trees were rooted; no new growth protruded from these trees, and the absence of leaves left me to question whether these trees were dead or alive. The whitish bark that enveloped the trees almost seemed to indicate that the tree was now but a ghost of the life that once flourished there. 

A praying mantis hides amongst the leaves and blades of grass.

After focusing my senses on the plants that flooded my sit spot, I began to notice the animals that lived among them. My eyes were primarily drawn to the black ants that paced back and forth on the blades of grass; these creatures initially left me disappointed and dismayed, as I believed them to be the most interesting animal I would see that day. However, after continuous focus and observation, I was able to spot a red spider with black legs, and it seemed to be suspended midair. However, after a quick reminder that the laws of gravity would never permit such an act, I noticed that the spider sat on a web spun of such fine silk that it appeared almost invisible to the naked eye. While observing this spider, I saw a slight movement out of the corner of my eye; when I directed my focus to the area in which the movement occurred, my eyes met the yellow ones of a praying mantis (see picture to the left). Once the creature noticed that I had seen him, he slowly began his descent from the stem where he was perched and retreated into the forest floor. After further inspection of the ground, I began to notice a number of brown spiders that seemed to be surrounding me. Although they were stationary for quite some time, they jumped into the air when a bee started to buzz around. While I was observing the previously mentioned insects, I had been hearing ripples in the creek. The first few times I heard such noises, I ignored them in order to record and observe the life I was witnessing; however, after these noises continued to persist I finally looked up from my journal and was met with a deer drinking from the stream. Almost immediately, as if the beast had sensed my eyes on him, he darted away, leaving me with nothing but the sounds of his body slamming against the twigs of nearby trees. As he scurried away, the only thing I was able to see was the clear juxtaposition of his stark white tail against the rest of his brown body.

After observing all of the teeming life around me, I decided to tune into my other senses. One of the perks of finding a sit spot that is devoid of other human beings is being able to take off one’s mask and breathe deeply. At first, the smell of the sunscreen that I had applied previously pierced the air; however, after continuous breathing, I was able to pick up on the earthy notes of the soil around me, as well as the lavender detergent I had used to wash the blanket I was sitting on. I then closed my eyes once more and began to listen to the sounds around me; the cicadas’ rhythmic chirping filled the air, but it could not completely mask the sounds of birds calling to one another and the clicking of other nearby insects. Occasionally, I would hear the roar of car engines in the distance, which somewhat hindered me from being completely present in the natural world. I finally focused on what I was feeling; although the clear sky gave no shelter from the hot sun, the thick canopy of leaves I took shelter under prevented the sun’s rays from warming my body.

The first time I attempted to focus in my sit spot, I felt as though I was truly able to connect to my surroundings and concentrate on each of my senses. I seldom felt distracted or worried by thoughts of the outside world; I believed my mind was too focused on trying to observe everything the natural world had to offer. However, even though I initially may have believed that I was in touch with my senses, it was quickly revealed that I was, in fact, not. This was illuminated when I barely noticed a huge deer in close proximity to me; thus, I hope in the future that I am able to more quickly respond to what I am sensing so that I may bear witness to more of the life around me. 

I chose to follow the aforementioned objects: the wildflowers, the wide tree, and the flowing creek. All of the flowers have not bloomed yet (made clear by the presence of numerous buds on the plant), so I am hoping that in the future I will be able to observe this flowering. Furthermore, the tree’s leaves have several holes on them, indicative of some organism feeding on the tree; I am hoping that future observation will allow me to identify this organism. Finally, I am hoping the creek will change with the seasons and that perhaps I’ll be able to see it somewhat freeze over in the winter months. 

Pictures of the objects I am following in this order: the creek, the purple wildflowers, and the tree.