Sense of Place

I have lived in 11 different states during my 30+ years of marriage. Michigan, Maryland, Virginia, Oregon, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Illinois, Colorado, Georgia, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and circling back to my home state of Michigan. All the while desiring to achieve a sense of place, a connection to the natural world around me. But living in so many spots has presented challenges in getting to know a place in a deep manner as bonding requires time and effort. To stay in place. Granted I have spent lots of time outdoors in these states, hiking along the Appalachian Trail, the foothills of the Rockies and beside the waters of Long Island Sound, while also exploring paths found in parks and gardens across all these areas. 

Some of my favorite outdoor experiences involved cross-country skiing from Government Camp to Timberline Lodge on the foothills of Mt. Hood, bike riding the Prairie Trail in Illinois, hiking along the AT approach path to an overnight at an eco-lodge, camping with family or friends and spending time sailing with my aunt and uncle as we visited remote islands and harbors. But none of these activities allowed me to feel a true sense of place. Sure I could talk about my explorations, but did I understand what natural features had come together to make up the places I had visited, thus creating a sense of place?

Sense of place requires one to understand the many threads of geology, climate, seasons, watersheds, Indigenous people, plants and animals that are woven together to make up a place. We are all part of an interconnected whole and studying the different threads in your local area allows one to form a deep connection to place. Figuring out where you fit into this natural framework also allows you to know yourself on a deeper level as well.

Getting to know an area in a deeper fashion and forming a relationship with the natural world around you is discussed in Karen Harwell and Joanna Reynolds book “Exploring a Sense of Place” which covers six main topics:

 1)   Deep-time geologic story. This story talks about the topography of an area, its geology and how it came to be formed, discussing events that came to form the hills and valleys, the water basins of a place.

 2)  Weather and climate story. Not only does this story explain what helped to shape the geology of a place but also discusses its ongoing impact through the amount of moisture found in wind and clouds, sun received and temperatures experienced.

 3) The Season’s story. Depending on where you are located on the planet, you experience winter, spring, summer and fall differently. Some places may receive more moisture, depending on location, while others receive less. Others may be hotter or colder.

 4)The Story of Indigenous People. Who lived here in this area before you? How did they live upon the land sustainably and what sort of spirituality and customs did they embrace? Much can be learned from those who came before us.

5) The Watershed Story. People are so accustomed to identifying where they live based on township boundaries but watershed boundaries are the natural world’s way of dividing up space. Water which falls on your land flows to a waterway, thus being referred to as that waterway’s watershed. 

6)The Wildlife Story. Learning about the plants and animals that live within our local ecosystem helps us to make sure we are taking steps to protect these beings.

Over the next couple of days, I am going to do some research to determine information about each of these topics in my local area and do one post per topic. I have read that due to the transient nature of people nowadays, folks never stay in a place long enough to create a sense of place and thus in turn never feel a responsibility to protect the spaces they inhabit. This has proven itself out to me with all the moves and lack of true connection I have made over the years. Beginning this work will be the start of me finally forming a sense of place.