3-D Tournament with primitive bows

Identifying tracks to a certain species is much easier if you first look for certain clues.

Those clues are not usually found in the track. Only 1 in 100 tracks show clear detail (like toes or nail marks). By far, the two most useful clues to look for are (a) the track pattern of the animal and (b) the overall trail width that the pattern makes.

The diagram shown here of ‘track patterns’ highlights both. Using only these two clues, and with a little practice, you’ll know the difference between the mouse and vole, or even tracks that are weeks old and covered with snow. Of course, there are many other clues to be found, but it is with the ‘patterns’ and that we will start.

Track Patterns

Having four legs and an ability to change its speed, identifying track patterns is somewhat complicated. However, in an effort to not waste energy, there are distinct patterns that the various species use ‘most’ of the time.

Hence, it is useful to group the animals by their ‘regular’ walking pattern. There are four basic patterns a tracker should memorize. The vast majority of tracks you come across will fit into one of these patterns: 1) Slow Walking, 2) Diagonal, 3) Bound, and 4) Gallop. Let’s consider each pattern along with examples of the animals that use each. An advanced study would further consider the patterns found as the animals speed or slow their pace.

Slow walking pattern

Animals that frequent this style of walking include the wide-bodied, slow-moving types such as the: beaver, muskrat, skunk, porcupine, bear, and racoon. These animals seem to waddle along with their wide bodies shifting from side to side. Basically, the legs on one side of the animal tend to move together, followed by the slumbering of the two legs on the other side.

I strongly suggest you get down on all fours and try this type of walk for yourself — it will make more sense! To look at it, this pattern is somewhat of a scattering of track s– almost defying any pattern at all. Most animals in this category have large, soft, padded feet that are somewhat unique in themselves.

TIP: the rear feet of many animals in this category look similar to human feet. That is, elongated with a long and narrow heel.

These soft padded feet allow them to walk through the woods quietly. One summer day while quietly picking edible plants along a ridge, I heard the muffled ‘snap’ of a dry branch. My first thought was “bear”. I’m not paranoid of bears, but I was on a trail that bears commonly used in this area.

What really signalled me to the thought a bear was that it was a loud sound, indicating a large animal and the sound of the snap was muffled — reminding me of the sound of snapped twigs under my soft moccasins. A deer would not make a sound like this with its sharp hooves. I stood up immediately. A cub and I stared at each other for a moment then it turned and scrambled up a tree. What a day for nature observations. . . .

Diagonal pattern

This next group of animals include deer, cat, and dog families. For example: deer, moose, caribou, elk, and fox, wolf, coyote, bobcat, mountain lion and dog. To ‘see’ the diagonal pattern, you must stand back and see the imaginary centre line with foot tracks diagonally crossing over it to form the pattern.

Try diagonal walking yourself by getting down once more on all fours and move your front-right and your rear-left leg at the same time followed by your front-left and rear-right moving together. For the animals that use this pattern, the rear-right foot lands on top of but slightly behind where the front-right foot was a moment earlier. Take a closer look at the track patterns diagram again.

TIP: the front feet of the diagonal walkers are considerably larger than their rear feet. Now you can see and show to others, the front, rear, right and left feet of the deer tracks in your backyard. Won’t you be the envy of your friends!?

Deer have keen senses and they usually know you are coming long before you see them. Hence, they have the time to quietly stalk away undetected. One mid-summer day, on a stroll along an old bush trail I came to a clearing. I had the sudden feeling like something was close or watching me. I assumed that someone let my dog out of the house and it was now catching up to me. She hates to miss a good walk. I looked behind but nothing was there. I kept still for a moment. Then continued on into the clearing.

At the far end of a clearing I heard the distinct sound of a white tail leaping off accompanied by the warning snorts they let off. I looked back to the other end of the clearing where I felt that something was watching me. That deer would have been be able to just see me from where it was, but just barely. Deer are very curious creatures and will sometimes circle around to see what was disturbing their area. It is possible to cut them off and get another glimpse in these situations, which is what I did. I turned right, headed into the bush for 100 metres and sat down quietly. Sure enough, the deer came back, but just a little out of sight.

Bound pattern

Bounders include the weasel family such as the: least weasel, ermine or short-tail weasel, long tail weasel, fisher, mink, and marten. These animals have long bodies and short legs. Look for five toes. When you see one moving along, they tend to look a bit like a sewing machine needle as their body hunches together and then elongates in quick successions. As they move, the front, two feet land first followed by the rear, two feet that land just behind the front. Some overlapping of the tracks may take place. Notice the unique and offset pattern all four feet make together!

TIP: Look at the imaginary centre line of the track pattern. Notice that the sets of tracks stay true to the centreline and are not diagonal across it. Believe it or not, old snow-covered tracks of a small weasel weighing well under 1/2 pounds can be confused with the track of a 150 pound deer. This is because the four feet that land together of the weasel are about the same size as one deer hove and the distance between the tracks can be similar between the two species.

Moreover, in cold weather and on certain types of terrain, deer tracks do not sink much and in softer snow conditions, the weasel can sink a fair amount. In older tracks, you don’t know conditions at the time the track was made. The trick is to look for the pattern — diagonal or bound. It will be a humbling experience to confuse the two species — just don’t tell your friends when it happens!

I find weasels are exciting creatures to track. They range in size from the least weasel that can chase mice through their own holes, to the fisher that is renowned for having porcupine as a regular part of its diet. On one occasion, I was was following a long tailed weasel track through some freshly fallen snow. The weasel was doing its typical routine of dodging around trees sniffing out the scent of rodents.

As the trail entered a marshy area, the tracks exploded in the snow as it accelerated abruptly, heading somewhere with urgent speed. The tracks which usually fall only several inches apart were now falling many feet apart from each other — quite an accomplishment for a skinny little weasel not much bigger than a chipmunk. I knew something was up. My questions were soon answered as soon after, a pile of blue and grey feathers gently blew around in the wind.

Gallop pattern

This is an interesting group that includes small critters like mice, voles, and shrews, chipmunks, squirrels, and larger animals like rabbits and hares. This group seems to speed along the forest floor. Their track pattern shows the front feet landing closely together and the rear feet coming around the outside and pass where the front feet landed. Try this yourself and notice how much faster it is compared to the other patterns.

Somewhat unique to this group is the large size of the rear feet compared to the front feet. Just visualize the snowshoe hare’s large rear feet. Don’t forget to look at the overall pattern and the imaginary centre line. The patterns flow in a straight line like the bounders. However, the big difference is in the shape of the four feet together. There are ever so many interesting, little tips with this group that make identifying each track a treat.

TIP: if the front, two feet land almost exactly side by side you are looking at a mouse, not a vole of similar size. The mouse also shows long tail drag marks. Also, the squirrels front feet tend to land beside each other — useful for climbing trees .

A bit of animal trivia: Some shrews have a poisonous bite. I’ve seen video clips of a shrew attacking a mouse. It was a short fight as the shrew quickly nipped the leg of the mouse and backed away. The mouse soon lost control of its body. About the same size as a humming bird, the shrews are a treat to track. The tracks can be so faint in the snow that unless you have proper light conditions, you may not even see the tracks when they are pointed out. They have a gallop walking pattern just like the mice, voles, chipmunks and rabbits.

Abstract

                This phenomenological study explores the emotional experience of playing a musical instrument during a nature-based leisure event. Data was collected from ten participants through either interviews or written accounts. The instruments participantsí played included guitar, singing, fife, fiddle, harmonica, and the wooden flute. The setting varied from urban parks to remote national parks on outings ranging in duration from an hour to over a week.

            My findings revealed five topic areas common to the experience of playing an musical instrument during a nature-based leisure event: escape and change as a motivation for visits to natural areas; music as a means to focus sensory attention; the combined effect of playing music in a natural setting: something more than the composite parts; music as a way of connecting to nature; and contentment and appreciation. This study offers an insightful and descriptive account of these little understood topics.

            Playing music during a nature-based leisure event powerfully altered/enhanced the emotions of participantsí in a positive direction. Therefore, it can be stated this activity created a positive nature experience among participants. Such experiences are valuable for the creation of emotional attachments to natural areas, which is believed to lead to pro-environmental behaviours. 

Introduction

            Among people who practice proactive environmental behaviors, Grob (1995) found that, within his model of environmental behaviour, the most effective components stemmed from peopleís philosophical values (i.e., post-materialism and open-mindedness) and emotions (i.e., emotional response to environmental issues). Interestingly, environmental awareness (i.e., knowledge and recognition of the issues) was not vital for pro-environmental behaviors.

Grobís (1995) findings are echoed by others. For example, Ken Deacon, active environmentalist and biologist, believes: ìPeople do not need to know more, they need to care moreÖ people have been exposed to the issuesî (personal communication, March, 1997). Similarly, Stephen J. Gould (1991) also believes that people will not destroy what they love arguing that emotional bonds to species and the natural environment are needed for their survival.  Finally, Tom Brown Jr., outdoor skills instructor and author of numerous wilderness philosophy and wilderness field guides, also believes that people need to experience the wilderness to develop attachments and behaviors that act to create ìenvironmental warriorsî (personal communication, 1992). 

If people with emotional attachments to the natural environment are more likely to possess pro-environmental behaviors, knowing how their emotional attachment is formed and maintained is of fundamental importance. As well, creating opportunities for more people to develop such attachments would help to curb the rapid degradation of natural ecosystems. The obvious place to develop and study emotional connections to the natural environment is in the natural environment and in nature-based leisure research.

One activity yet to be explored in nature-based leisure research is playing a music instrument. The effect of music in other areas of research has been established and suggests that music may intensify and even dictate the emotions felt in certain contexts, which could include a natural setting.  Hence, playing a musical instrument may act as a trigger for developing positive nature experiences leading to an emotional attachment to nature.

From a personal perspective, I have often experienced a heightened awareness of my surroundings in the wilderness as a result of playing a musical instrument. Perhaps analogous to when Henry David Thoreau played his flute during his time on Walden Pond, I find the ambience of a wooden flute in a natural setting to create a powerful experience. On camping trips, and at wilderness skills camps, I have introduced flute music and found that the feedback was positive. 

  In light of this, the purpose of this study is to explore the lived experience of people who have utilized a musical instrument during a nature-based leisure event. In so doing, I hope to learn more about how people connect to the natural environment in powerful and meaningful ways. Thus, my research question is: What is the emotional experience of a nature-based leisure event that incorporates (live) music?

Literature Review

            In my search of literature pertaining to music during a nature-based leisure event, I was unable to find any study that involved nature and music. The closest I came to finding information on this topic were studies concerned with the interaction of music and viewing paintings. Surprisingly, I also found little literature pertaining to emotions and the natural environment in nature-based leisure research. Hence, my literature review centres on a discussion of emotion, music and emotion, and the natural environment and emotion.

Emotion

There is nothing tangible about an emotion; no one area in our brain is specifically associated with emotions, and no universal definition of emotion. Therefore, the first step in understanding emotion is to determine what we mean by it. The Oxford Concise English Dictionary (Pearsall, 1999) describes an emotion as a strong feeling distinct from reasoning (p. 466); describes a feeling as an emotional state (p. 520); and describes being emotional as showing an intense feeling or as arousing (p. 466). Similar to the dictionaryís tautology, diverse fields of research do not offer a concise definition of emotion either. Moreover, there are dozens of theoretical perspectives and approximately one hundred theories on emotion (De Rivera, 1977).

Although the concept of emotion is indeed complex (Averill, 1999), it may abstractly be defined as a response to an event (Frijda, 2000), being either primary (i.e., biological) or secondary (i.e., lived experience or cognitive) in nature (White, 2000).  The latter being the least understood and studied aspect of emotion (Lewis, 2000); however, the lived experience is how the average person understands the concept of emotion, and therefore, may be the most meaningful portrayal of what emotion is (Panksepp, 2000). The process of experiencing an emotion is as follows. A person (a) encounters an event or object and decides if it is threatening, pleasant or other, (b) feels a resulting emotion, such as being happy or fearful, and (c) is aware of the emotion being felt (Plutchik, 1984; Russell & Snodgrass, 1987).

The structure of an emotion

Studies using various measures (e.g., self-report scales) have been utilized to develop a bipolar circumplex model of affect, which has generally been accepted among researchers (Parkinson, Totterdell, Briner & Reynolds, 1996; Plutchik, 1984; Russell, 1980, 1997; Russell & Bullock, 1985). Russell (1980) and Parkinson et al. (1996) credit Schlosberg (1952) with devising the first circumplex structure of affect.

Figure 1. Bipolar model of eight affects.  Affects are mapped relative to zero degrees.

Note. From ìA cicumplex model of affect,î by J.A. Russell, 1980,  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39 (6), p. 1164.

Music and Emotion

Music philosophers seem at odds with one another as to how people really experience emotion from music. DeNora (2000) found that, when interviewed on the topic of music in daily life, people seemed to just know what they needed emotionally and, furthermore, people can self-program their music material to suit emotional needs.  In an attempt to clarify how we experience emotion from music, past discussions often centred on peoplesí object of the emotion (i.e., focus of attention). 

Intentional Object of Emotion

The listenerís intentional object of emotion during the music will highly influence the type of emotional response (Davies, 1994; Kivy, 1999; Levinson, 1990) and therefore a personís emotional response is difficult to predict. For instance, as freely as thoughts come and go, so do the potential objects of emotion. If our thoughts have an overall theme (e.g., sad memories) our emotion would likely be one of sadness. Conversely, if there is a combination of happy and sad memories (objects), it becomes more difficult to predict the resulting emotion in any realistic manner. Emotions may be the result of various objects including memories and objects in our surroundings.

For instance, in studies combining objects, like listening to music and viewing paintings, Limbert and Polzella (1998) and Stratton and Zalanowski (1989) found music to be a powerful intensifier of the emotion believed to be exhibited in the painting. Stratton and Zalanowski found that music actually dictated the emotion that the participants believed to be expressed by the painting. Their findings suggest that the intentional object of emotion for participants was more focused on the music than the paintings with the audible senses being more influential than visual stimuli. Limbert and Polzellís study found that when the painting was accompanied with music that matched the apparent expressed emotion in the painting, the emotion expressed in the painting was intensified. Similarly, McKinney (1990), in a study on music and imagery, found that music intensified emotions.

The source of the music may be a prominent object and the focus of the listenerís attention. For instance, the instrument used to create the music, as well as the performer, may be the focus of attention and may elicit memories and meanings associated with the instrument and its culture. For example, Qureshi (2000) found that the sarangi (an Indian musical instrument) was considered as an ìintense icon of affectî (p. 805), embedded in religious, political, cultural and social meanings. Interestingly, Qureshi describes musical sound as to ìimmediately evoke a situated experienceî (p. 810) inferring, therefore, that music as an object (and the type instrument played) may connect cognitive thoughts to specific cultures and meanings. Stokes (as cited in Qureshi) states that music is unmatched by any other social activity in doing this.

In the case where people vary their focus of attention (e.g., from music to memories, to interest, to an instrument and its culture, to their natural surroundings) the resulting emotion is the combined effect of each of the objects focussed on. Therefore, any feelings associated with each object will combine in some fashion to create an experience that is almost impossible to predict.

            Nature and Emotion

Aspects of the environment that affect peopleís emotions are by and large unexplored (McIntyre & Roggenbuck, 1998; Russell & Snodgrass, 1987; Staats, Gatersleben & Hartig, 1997; Ulrich, 1983).Moreover, the overall effect of the many would-be objects of emotion in a natural environment makes understanding the resulting emotion rather complex (Russell & Snodgrass, 1987). In an attempt to categorize the objects that people focus on in an natural environment, Borrie (as cited in McIntyre & Roggenbuck, 1998, p. 403) groups the objects as follows: (a) nature as place, (b) self, (c) others, (d) emotions and affect, and (e) task or activity.^[2] Of particular interest for my study are the affective qualities of the natural environment.

The features of the natural environment upon which people appraise the affective qualities of the place (i.e., the ambience) affect peopleís relationship to the environment (McIntyre & Roggenbuck, 1998; Russell & Snodgrass, 1987; Ulrich, 1983). The next section discusses the complexity of a natural area as it is related to peopleís emotional preferences. Lastly, I will discuss the descriptors used by people to describe the affective qualities of a natural environment. 

Complexity of a Natural Environment and Consequential Affect

Hull, Stewart, and Yi (1992) found that, as people hiked through various types of landscapes, their moods were affected.  Other studies (Staats, Gatersleben & Hartigís, 1997; Ulrich, 1983)^[3]support Hull et al.ís findings, and furthermore, found that the complexity of natural landscapes is a factor related to the affective qualities of an area. Studies involving the affective aspects of a natural environment tend to group the objects of the place together. For example, objects such as the horizon or crawling insects alone are not considered apart from the overall ambience of the place. The ambience of the place is what researchers seem to equate with the complexity of the place.

Complexity in a natural environment is related to the number of independently received objects able to be seen, the relative difficulty of movement, and the difficulty of orienteering oneself (Ulrich, 1983; Staats, Gatersleben & Hartig, 1997). Complexity is also linked to the density of the area (Staats et al., 1997). For example, an open field on a hillside would be considered low in complexity (and density) because of the ease of navigating over obstacles and orienteering, thereby requiring fewer objects to be necessarily focused on. In contrast, a narrow trail through dense brush with a lot of obstructions would be considered highly complex because of the difficulty of navigation and orienteering, thereby requiring close attention to objects (e.g., fallen trees and brush to walk through and other landscape features for orienteering direction).  

The complexity of an environment has also been considered in terms of the consequential emotional response, and therefore, also by dimensions of arousal and pleasantness. For instance, Staats, Gatersleben and Hartig (1997) found that when a natural landscape is complex, the levels of arousal increase and a lack of orientation decreases the pleasantness of the area. Moreover, Ulrich (1983) states that the qualities of complexity and pleasantness, together, form an inverted-U; environments that are either high or low in complexity are unpleasant. Ulrich also found that natural areas that appear to be low in complexity (e.g., a field that is easy to navigate and orientate) might even lead to boredom. Ulrich (1983) concludes that a mixed forest with some views is the most pleasing. Conversely, Rosegrant (1976) found that types of religious experiences occur when the setting is communal (e.g., a vista or area where the works of nature are visible on a large scale, such as a mountaintop or desert).  In other words, areas of low complexity may evoke emotional responses as well.

In all, the degree to which the complexity of an area appears to affect people emotionally when traveling over the landscape is of issue. However, as Rosegrant (1976) found, people who are not traveling over the landscape may well find pleasure in the simplicity of a field of wildflowers, or in the vastness of deserts, oceans, and lakes. Furthermore, dense brush may also be of interest and of pleasure for those who enjoy bird watching or looking for animal signs and tracks.

Descriptors of Affect in a Natural Environment

Regardless of the activity, the terms that people use to describe the affective qualities of a natural environment may be the best indicator of their experience. Russell and Laniusís (1984) model (see Figure 2) illustrates the various adjectives of affect used to describe the natural environment as related to one another on a circumplex (along the dimensions of pleasantness and arousal). The terms included in the model characterize the affective appraisals of a natural environment; hence, some of the words, such as ìrepulsiveî, ìprettyî, and ìmonotonousî may not sound like adjectives of emotion.  However, these descriptors of affect offer an insightful view of the structure of an experienced emotion for researchers who need to interpret the meanings of such terms  (or related ones) when used by participants.

Figure 2.Descriptors of affective qualities of places. 

Methods

In the literature review, the relationship between emotion and the experiences of being in the natural environment and of listening to music were both considered. In further support of considering emotion in research, Denzin (1984) believes that the study of emotionality should reside fundamentally in all human disciplines. The phenomenological method is particularly suitable for studies involving the experience of emotion because uncovered meanings of a phenomenon remain closely linked to the lived experience, which is recounted through thick descriptions (Denzin). Hence, after reading the phenomenological account, a person should better understand how the phenomenon is experienced.

            In this study, ten adult participants were located through the use of posters on bulletin boards and e-mail postings on Internet groups. As is common in a phenomenological study, interviews with open-ended questions were used (Henderson 1990; Kvale 1996; McPhail 1995). When interviews were not possible, the data were collected through written accounts. In a similar manner, Fischer (1985), in a phenomenological study on self-deception, asked participants to make a journal-like entry describing a time when they tried to deceive themselves. After the journal entry was handed back to the researcher, it was looked over and (if deemed necessary) a follow-up entry was requested.

            I asked the interviewees to bring their favoured instrument (i.e., one previously used in a nature-based leisure eventóincluding singing). The reason for this was to evoke memories and feelings of past experiences (i.e., nature-based leisure events combined with music), and to help break the ice. I also brought my instrument to the meeting. The instruments utilized included wind instruments such as the fife, singing, wooden flute, and harmonica and stringed instruments such as the fiddle and guitar. Most of the interviews took place in a natural setting, and music was played prior to the interview.

            To explore my research question (i.e., what is the experience and meaning of a nature-based leisure event that incorporates (live) music?), the primary question that I put to the interviewee was: Please tell me about an experience that you have had in which you brought and played a musical instrument (or singing) during a nature outing.

            Amongst various possible data analysis procedures, I chose to base mine on Moustakasí (1994, p.121-122) approach: (a) researcher first offers her/his own experience,  and then (b) from verbatim transcripts, considers each statement and its relevance to the experience, (c) lists all relevant statements, (d) deletes any repetitive statements, thereby leaving the invariant horizons or meaning units, (e) clusters the meaning units into themes, (f) describes the textural experience by synthesizing meaning units and themes (including verbatim examples), (g) develops structures of the experience through imaginative variation, (h) constructs a textural-structural description of the essences and meanings of the experience, (i) repeats steps b through h for each participant in the study, and lastly, (j) synthesizes all textural-structural descriptions of the essences and meanings (i.e., step h) of the individual experiences into a universal or composite description. For the sake of clarity and parsimony, only the last stage (i.e., the synthesis) is presented here.

                The emotional experience of playing a musical instrument in nature.

            This study examines the meanings and essences of playing a musical instrument (or singing) during a nature-based leisure event. To do so, I have synthesized meaning units, themes, and the textural and structural descriptions of each participant into universal meanings or essences of the experience (i.e., as found applicable across participantsí experiences). There are five topic areas that represent the findings in this study: (a) escape and change as motivation for visits to natural settings; (b) music as a means to focus sensory attention; (c) the combined effect of playing music and being in nature: something more than the composite parts; (d) music as a way of connecting to nature; and (e) contentment and appreciation.

Escape and Change as Motivation for Visits to Natural Settings

            People seek the experience of a natural setting for a number of reasons. The participantsí reasons included the desire for diverse forms of escape and change. Generally, participants desired to escape from other people, that is, to find solitude for themselves or their group. For instance, one participant stated: ìwe purposelyÖcamp in an area where it is difficult to hear or see other campers.î Participantsí reasons for finding this solitude included a desire to ìbe alone inÖmisery;î to ìslow down;î to ìjust be;î ìto conceal the sound of their music;î to ìcalm down;î to spend time with family; and to enjoy the ìwonderful scenery.î Similar to experiencing an escape is experiencing a change, for instance, the change from being ìdistractedî in the ìhectic hi-tech market placeî to feeling ìpeaceî in sensing the ìatmospheric scents of the coniferous forest, sphagnum moss and the Canadian Shield.î

Without exception, the escape/change to a natural setting affected participantsí moods and thoughts. This is evident from the terms and phrases that were used to describe both place and emotion. Some terms and phrases that were used included: ìvery peaceful,î ìenjoy,î ìcalm me down,î ìmagnificent,î ìwonderful scenery,î ìfeeling of joy would well up,î and ìintegral to the experience.î Moreover, many participants described a feeling of sensing-the-moment.

Sensing the moment.

            Sensing the moment, at times, is a necessary part of the nature experience, while at others, it is merely desirable. For a few participants, who were on longer trips, paying close attention to the weather (and other aspects of the natural environment) often demanded that they focused on the moment for safety reasons. One benefit of sensing the moment is that a person may ìget a feeling for the flow of natureî or be ìa little more connected toî the ìsurroundings.î To achieve this state, some participants engaged in meditation. Meditation methods included ìsitting,î ìrelaxing,î ìcalmingî and ìslowing down,î focusing on nature, and breathing deeply. Interestingly, when music was played, all participants experienced intensified levels of sensing the moment.

Music as a Means to Focus Sensory Attention

A central aspect to the experience of playing music in a natural setting is linked to where one focuses his/her attention. Although this focus changes, three foci of attention stand out: the act of playing music, emotion, and the aesthetics of the natural surroundings.

Focussing on playing music.

The act of playing music leads one to be ìfocused on the music itself.î The reason for this focusing varies. For instance, several participants reported being preoccupied with the technique of ìgetting the timing rightî or ìfocusing only on the sound.î  Another common reason for focusing attention on the music was that it sounded ìamazingî in the natural surroundings. As one participant wrote: ìI remember playing often with my eyes closed, focusing only on the sound and the meditation that it brought about,î which felt ìsoothing and ethereal.î Other participants described the sound of music in a natural setting as being ìlike in a recording studioÖ.blending in with the ambient sound,î an experience that was ìoverwhelmingî and ìbeautiful.î A few participants actively sought out places in nature where the sound of their music would be ìat its best.î For example, places to play were chosen based on the ability of the sound waves to travel across water to a distant ìshore,î ìrock cliff,î or ìgranite wallî before echoing back.  The time of day was also deemed relevant, as one participant preferred to play ìwhen the weather was calm, especially around sunsetî so the wind would not distort the sound.

Similar to finding the right location to play the instrument, a few participants found that ìthe instrument had a lot to do with it;î that is, creating a powerful experience. For example, Allen (i.e., a wooden flute player) stated, ìIt just seems like thatís the kind of instrument that should only be played in the woods;î Wendy found that singing created beautiful harmonies; Mason commented that the flute ìseems to just fit in the natural environment;î and Kiley would only play his fife in nature because ìit was not the same experience at allî to play ìat home.î

Focussing on emotion.

Playing music was a cathartic experience (i.e., it vented pent-up emotion) for a few participants. Others found that they were able to express their emotions through playing. Allen found that playing music had the power to release pent-up emotions at a time when he was unable to ìtell anybodyÖwhatî he ìwas feeling.î He was able to vent ìinternal feelingsî of sadness and separation. Venting pent-up emotions allows ìthe deeper partÖkept buried under all the pressure to come to life andÖcome out.î For instance, Fred, feeling down on his luck, found that playing music changed his mood. As he played, he realized the many things he had to be ìthankfulî for and appreciative of. This cathartic experience occurred as they expressed their emotions through playing music.

Expressing emotion through playing music occurs when oneís focus of attention extends beyond the technical aspects of playing a song; that is, ìafter the mechanical partsî are taken care of, the music can originate ìfrom the heart.î Emotional expression is similar to a cathartic experience but with less urgency. In other words, individuals express emotion as they feel them, as opposed to venting pent-up emotions. For example, Mason stated the following: ìAs I began to play I just focused on natural objects or the feeling I attained from looking out at the darkness and the silhouettes of the trees in the dark.î Likewise, Shannon found that as ìthe sun would light up the barren hills,î she ìwould have an overwhelming urge to sing.î These last two examples also demonstrate a focus of attention upon the natural surroundings.

Focussing on the natural surroundings.

Common among participants was a shift to or an intensified focus of attention on the natural surroundings as a result of playing music. For some, the shift actually started during a nature meditation, just prior to playing music. Feelings such as a sense of ìpeaceî were experienced as they viewed their natural surroundings. These feelings were intensified when the music started. Likewise, as the music was played, several shifted their focus from the music to the natural environment. Others experienced a noticeable shift in their focus either after or during pauses in the music. This increased focus upon the natural environment was a pivotal point to the experience. While focussing on the natural environment (i.e., either during or after playing the music), their emotions were suddenly and noticeably altered.

The Combined Effect of Playing Music and Being in a Natural Area: ìSomething More Than the Composite Parts.î

There is an interplay between focusing on playing music and focusing on natural surroundings which creates ìsomething more than the composite partsîóthe two intensify one another. This combined effect can occur swiftly and noticeably. For instance, some of the many descriptions of this effect were as follows: (a) ìIt just took on an extra dimension of absolute, absolute beautyÖ.something specialÖhad happenedóalmost a peace;î  (b) ìIt felt like time had stopped;î (c) ìWhat I do remember is what happened when it (playing music) stoppedÖ.A great feeling;î (d) ìI am not what you would call, in the traditional sense, a spiritual person, but it was at that moment when I felt one of my strongest connections to the energies and essences of nature;î (e) ìI think what may have made it so special for me was thatÖinternal feelings being expressed also matchedÖhow the environment was influencing what I was expressing;î (f) ìIt was kind of neatÖnature would provide the setting for the song and the song would make the nature experience better.î  One participant played his music in intervals (viewing nature during the pauses) and felt a ìgradualî shift from feeling depressed to ìfeeling really, really, really good.î

A few others described this moment through vivid descriptions of the landscape and of their emotion, both of which seemed to be intensified at the point of playing the music (or just after) and enjoying the natural environment. For instance, one participant became absorbed in viewing a distant glacier, clouds in the sky, and the flora surrounding her. Moreover, she recalled how rock that she had laid on felt and how her emotions swelled up inside her as she experienced these objects. The combined effect of playing music and being in a natural surrounding enhanced their awareness and emotions.

Music as a Way of Connecting to Nature

The effect of playing music in a natural setting fosters feelings of connection. Such feelings ranged from being ìpeacefulî and aware of the surroundings to having the people in the group ìcryingî tears of joy as a result of the ìmagical-spiritualî experience that profoundly increased their awareness of nature for the rest of the day. Moreover, a few participants also felt that they were directly communicating with certain aspects of nature.

Feeling connected with the natural surroundings also offers an enhanced awareness of surroundings. For instance, sensations may be awakened such as ìthe feel of wet pine needles and bits of lichenî under foot. Feeling connected can mean having ìno other thoughts other than the light breeze and the calls and actions of the birdsî that occupy the senses for that moment. The feeling of being connected to nature can be a moment when ìtimeî has ìstopped,î leaving ìthoughtsÖfree from association.î It can be the cheerful motivation behind a singing backpacker who almost continually is absorbed in her surroundings. It can be about feeling ìupliftedî in oneís surroundings and feeling ìgoodî will or ìloveî towards other people and species.

Feeling connected with nature can also include being in touch with ìthe chickadees,î ìthe loons,î ì the sled dogs,î or a greater force. For instance, a few participants had special interactions with birds. Fred joined in a thanksgiving song with the chickadees and felt that the chickadees ìacceptedî his input, which made him feel ìconnected toî his ìsurroundings.î Likewise, Kiley felt as though he had ìcommunicatedî with the distant loons from his canoe. Ted stated that ìthe sceneryÖwas beautiful, and playing to that view and the dogs was very uplifting. î Moreover, other references were made to being in touch with the ìgreater intangible entityî and ìthe Creator,î causing more profound emotional responses.

Contentment and Appreciation

            Following a sense of connection to nature are feelings of contentment and appreciation. One participant wrote: ìThe only thing left to do was lite [sic] up my pipe and have a mug of wine to complete the serenity and good feelings of the moment.î Another stated, ìWe really need to reconnect with the wilderness moreÖ.How do we ensure it will be around for generations to come?î Participants also felt ìthankful,î ìlucky,î ìrejuvenated, empowered,î and ìreally at peace.î  One participant stated: ìIt was just so beautiful and it will remain as one of the top maybe five experiences of my life.î

            In conclusion, in my presentation of data, I have presented a composite textural-structural description as found applicable across participantsí experiences. This description included five topic areas that progressed sequentially through the experience of playing a musical instrument during a nature-based leisure event. The first topic area discussed escape and change as motivations for visiting a natural area. In the second topic area, I outlined how music focused participantsí attention upon the music, upon an emotion, or upon the natural surroundings. The third topic area included a discussion on the combined effect of playing music and being in a natural area, an analysis which led to the fourth topic area, music as a way to connect with nature. The experience of connecting to nature was described. The final topic area offered examples of how the participants demonstrated their contentment and appreciation of the experience and natural environment.

Outcomes

The insightful components of my study centre on the descriptive presentation of little understood experiences such as (a) feeling a connection with nature, (b) playing music in nature, and (c) learning about the dynamic process of emotions and the nature experience. More specifically, this study offers insight into the nature-based leisure experience and how it changes (or is enhanced) through a focusing of attention on a limited number of objects. Playing music focused attention, which led to feelings of connection with natureóthrough an interaction of playing music and experiencing the natural surroundings.    

My study considered one nature-based activity (i.e., playing music) that fosters positive experiences. Knowledge of such activities are of value if attitudes, or more accurately, if emotional connections are to be made with the natural environment for the attainment of pro-environmental behaviours.  More pro-environmental behaviours are needed to ease the current rate of human-caused environmental degradation. It is my hope that future studies will expand our knowledge of this and other activities that may foster emotional connections to the natural environment.

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There are many types of wilderness experiences and training available to you. Don’t worry, I am not about tell you that you have found the ‘right’ or the ‘best’ spot–’look no further.’ If you find a site making such claims, may I suggest that you consider looking elsewhere. There is no one program that has it all or is the best for everyone. On this page I have included three types of wilderness skills programs (survival, primitive & traditional) and a table of more generic pursuits. It is my hope to point you in a suitable direction for your interests.

Wilderness Survival, Traditional OR Primitive Living Skills?

As an outdoor skills instructor specializing in primitive skills, and to a lesser extent, traditional and survival skills, I believe it is important to understand the differences in the mentioned areas. The confusion between these areas is evident amongst enthusiasts and businesses alike-as terms are regularly used interchangeably and meanings often overlapped. The theoretical variations between these areas stem from the types of skills and knowledge pursued and their relation to the natural world. Hence, the resulting wilderness experience for the student of any one of these areas will differ. In what follows, I will briefly discuss each of these three areas as I often do for people considering an appropriate outdoor skills program.

Survival skills Wilderness survival skills training show one to use any means available to survive in the wilderness. Survival instructors, not uncommonly, have military backgrounds and are interested in the appropriate methods to keep you alive if stranded in the woods. From this approach, one should expect to receive sound advice on all aspects of being prepared for disaster. For example, emphasis is often given to preventatives like appropriate clothing systems. Other skills you may learn include using flares, snaring animals, making various shelter constructions, using hi-tech devices (e.g., communication devices), as well as some primitive or traditional techniques. Little to no emphasis is placed on the skills as an important aspect or part of the nature experience.

Primitive skills In general, the primitive living skills approach joins ancient knowledge and craft to legend (and/or spiritual connections to the land). Conversely, there are primitive skills sects that prefer to keep the skills completely separate from the spiritual (or legendary) aspects. The Instructors of these programs often are identified through well-known skills lineages of contemporary leaders in the field (e.g., Larry Dean Olsen or Tom Brown Jr.). Interestingly, primitive skills enthusiasts would not necessarily label their skills as being ‘survival’ oriented-that would be an oxymoron. Their practices of hunter-gatherer like skills were simply living skills in the original context. The skills include various nature-based campcrafts such as bow and drill fire staring, stone and bone tools, nature awareness, knowledge of natural history, lost-proofing techniques, travel systems, shelters, and an intimate knowledge of natural processes. To use my example of clothing from the previous paragraph, brain/smoke-tanned hide and wool is often discussed with respect to its benefits like how silent and camouflaging it is. This type of program is of value to those who want to experience nature on a personal level through the skills that are said to “fit” the nature context

Traditional skills The phrase ‘traditional skills’ is somewhat all encompassing. However, such programs tend to mimic the Voyageur era, and to a lesser degree any outdoor skills that have been around for fifty or more years. Alternatively, some refer traditional knowledge and skills to the First Nations culture-it depends on the meaning one attaches to the word traditional. In general, the traditional skills enthusiasts (& programs) practice days-gone-by methods of camping like using canvas tents (& trail stove) in summer and winter outings. They would advocate using wooden snowshoes as opposed to synthetic ones. To further expend my previous example of clothing, traditional clothing usually includes the use of wool and perhaps leather and cotton in some contexts. A connection to the land is often seen as somewhat separate from the skills, which are commonly viewed as aesthetically pleasing and superior to modern techniques.

Lastly, I hope is becoming evident to you that the differences between these three areas roughly lay along the skill-sets and time periods they were originally used. In light of these differences and in the notable lack of discernment between them, as seen in various outdoor program literatures, I would suggest one read over a prospective program’s philosophy and instructor background. Then, go with your ‘gut’ feeling-if not inspired at that stage, chances are you will not be when you get there either.

If you are uncertain about the type of wilderness experience that is right for you, consider the information in the following table. While viewing the following table, consider the type of wilderness experience and activity that is of interest to you. Unfortunately, this table merely lists a few examples from hundreds of possibilities.

My little disclaimer:
I know that the following table is not ideal or fully accurate–remember it is an over-simplification. Moreover, there are many ways to frame an activity. For instance, some belief that extreme sports and eco-challenges are spiritual and connect you with nature and a greater force. For some I’m sure it does, there is research suggesting that other activities tend to do the same thing, only in different ways. In this, I by no means am placing a value of one type of activity over another–I enjoy many of the activities listed and practice many of them. With that in mind, forgive me if I placed an activity of yours in a wrong category.

For your information, I would rate the programs located on this site and at Alba Wilderness School as being in the Green and Yellow sections of the table and a more primitve and traditional type of program. However, some skills covered are in deed a challenge–not against nature, but in learning about it.

Originally published in Archery Focus: USA’s official olympic magazine.

What gets accomplished when an amateur bow-maker and a techno-weenie get together during the cold Christmas holidays in Canada? Well in this case, they designed a device that accurately computes and plots interesting bow performance characteristics from one draw of the bow. More specifically, draw-weight (force in lbs) and the corresponding draw-length (displacement in inches) are recorded approximately 200 times throughout the draw of the bow. So accomplishing this, we grabbed the first dozen bows within reach and printed each bow’s performance. It did not take long before we started doing experiments. From some of the data, here is an explanation of how brace-heights affect a bow and a little comparison between self-bows and recurves.

First of all, let us get the word brace-height out of the way. Brace-height is the distance from the string to the bow (when the bow is strung). Draw length is the distance from the bow to the string at a full draw. Many bowyers once assumed that an increased brace-height would shoot arrows faster because of increased poundage and limb strain. This seemed to make sense, but actually was a myth.

Whether a recurved or a non-recurved bow, increased brace height actually slowed the arrow speed down because the bow stored less energy. When a bow’s brace-height was small, the string actually traveled further when pulled to full draw. This stored more energy then if the bow was braced higher, resulting in the string traveling less distance. How is energy calculated? The energy of the bow is a function of the draw length and the draw weight, throughout the whole draw. When plotted on a graph, the area below the plotted line can be calculated to determine the energy (in inch-pounds). Higher available energy is the key.

Before going any further, it is important to be aware that certain bow designs better utilize stored energy upon release of the arrow. A lot of the stored energy can be wasted by extra end-tip mass, bulky or long limbs, string diameter and the list goes on. However, knowing the energy a bow stores is still a very important part of a bow design.

In figure 1, a 30 lb, 62″ recurve was plotted comparing three brace heights. At a glance, it became clear that when the bow’s brace height was less, the area (energy) under the line was greater, hence a potentially faster arrow speed. Increased brace heights raised the poundage of the bow, but stored less energy because of shorter string travel.Tests were performed on a variety of bows with the same results. In short, less brace height allowed for more energy storage. Of course if a bow was braced too low, there would be other problems , such as accuracy. Ideally, the feathers should not hit the bow before leaving the string. I mentioned something interesting about energy earlier. The bow’s potential “energy is a function of the draw length and the draw weight throughout the whole draw”. That is why a recurve of less weight can hold its own with a non-recurve of more weight. In Figure 2, a 62″ recurve with a draw weight of 30 lbs, is compared to a 62″ non-recurved bow with a draw weight of 35 lbs (both bows had a draw length of 26″ and a brace height of near 5″).

Figure 1.   Figure 2.   Figure 3.

The non-recurve pulled somewhat evenly throughout the draw. The recurve showed different characteristics during the draw. The reason that this 30 lb recurve offered as much energy as the 35 lb non-recurve was due to the higher weight during the earlier stages of the draw. In the non-recurved bow’s defense, its limbs were not working (being strained) as much as the recurved limbs.

To prove a point, the straight bow from figure 2 was increased to a 7 inch brace-height (see figure 3). As expected, the higher brace-height (in red) held less energy. As far as energy storage, the recurve held the advantage over the non-recurved bow.

As a bow-maker, it was satisfying and educational to have acquired these statistics on my bows. In the future, we hope to measure new (or uncommon) bow designs, as well as creating an interesting little device that measures arrow speed.

By Chad Clifford and Doug Marsh.

More video & topics from Wilderness Rhythms on:

• cliffLand. Well known as part of the Land Trust movement and home to one of the Seven Wonders of Lanark County. Go for a hike up to Blueberry Mountain and see for yourself! I have and continue to run some of my courses at this location–breathtaking!
• The Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust Conservancy helps landowners protect ecologically valuable areas for generations to come.

• Hugh McManners’ Survival blog. Good place to explore/blog LOST and Survival Psychology. Run by former SAS, jungle warfare trainer, co-host of BBC2′s Bare Necessities survival series, and author of many books including a Outdoor Training Manual and the Commando Survival Guide.

• Jeff Helmes Bladesmithing Check out Jeff’s knives and swords. He pays great attention to detail and creates wonderful era works. Also runs workshops.

• Greenpeace.

• FLORA Community Web volunteer service that acts as part of the Community Networking movement (Ottawa)

• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

• Sierra Club of Canada

• Primitive Skills Links As the address suggests, a site with a lot of links.

More of Chad’s Videos on YouTube…

More of Chad’s Videos on YouTube…

Chad’s flute music is played during a slideshow of nature photographs(photo’s by Tania Marsh & Chad Clifford).

When I first I came across this design on the internet, I was struck at the simplicity of it and the fact that I had never seen such an obviously witty design in  use before. The design was offered by Bill Scherer (posted with Bill’s permission here). This piece of leather is folded over and tucked into itself in a manner that leaves an opening for the blade to fit into. In this case, the leather was a little too soft so I also placed a small insert into case to protect myself from the blade.