The Art of Noticing by Sofie Schimmelpenninck

I sit on the large rocks that meet the water’s edge and watch the rapids flow into the whirlpool where the river changes course. I close my eyes and listen to the loud rush of the water. Each time I visit this spot on the Niagara River in Lewiston, New York, I am left with a profound sense of gratitude that I get to call this place home. I grew up hiking the trails along the gorge and remember learning about how the walls were carved out by glacial ice, forming Niagara Falls. Ever since then, I’ve been seeking that same childlike sense of awe and wonder that I feel when I am immersed in large landscapes.

In just a few days, I would be headed to the mountainous region of Montana for WRFI’s Conservation Across Boundaries course where I would embark on a six-week journey of exploring and learning about the Crown of the Continent. The first time I heard about WRFI was through a geology course I took my first semester at St. Lawrence University where I study conservation biology. Campus is located above the Adirondack High Peaks region so I spend most of my free time at school hiking with the Outdoor Program. I have always wanted to go backpacking out west and this trip allows me to gain experience in the field while also earning course credit. I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. So, I filled out my application the same day Kelsey gave her presentation in my morning lecture hall, and before I knew it I was buying freeze dried snacks to bring with me on the trail.

Now, I am sitting amongst the wildflowers on the bank of the Sun River in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The sound of the flowing water reminds me of the Niagara River back at home. Only a week into the trip, I have started to notice things I wouldn’t normally see. By paying attention to my surroundings in detail, I find myself return to that same sense of fascination I had as a child.

In one of our readings from Section 1 of the course called “Two Ways of Knowing: Robin Wall Kimmerer on Scientific and Native American Views of the Natural World”, Kimmerer, an author and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, touches on ideas of kinship. She describes kinship as the realization that between species, we all share the same earth and need the same things to thrive. Look at water, for example. Kimmerer says when she pays attention to how other beings like birds or lichen interact with water, she feels a kinship with them. She frames the thought “I know what a cold drink of water feels like, but what would it be like to drink water over my entire body, as a lichen does?” (Tonino, Pg. 29). Noticing the commonalities between ourselves and other beings can facilitate a more respectful relationship with the natural world.

Through spending time sitting quietly with nature I have been able to realize what true beauty means to me. Watching a bee collect nectar from a flower, seeing bear tracks in the mud on the same trail I walk upon, or looking up at a clear night sky filled with stars are prime examples that beauty is all around. Nature provides these intricacies that often go unnoticed. If we tune in to our environments we can learn to appreciate the blessings of the earth that are ever present.

Without the distractions or pressure I have previously experienced in other fast-paced learning environments, this course has allowed me to ask questions without judgement and learn from others who come from a wide array of different backgrounds and knowledge. I’ve learned that virtues such as gratitude and love for the earth are ones that are shared across cultural boundaries.