The crisp autumn morning beckons me outdoors. I wander, stopping frequently, as my eye catches unusual patterns, textures and colours. Rock formations intrigue me, water droplets on leaves captivate me and shades of green delight my senses. A few sunlit-dressed leaves still cling to branches while the forest floor is gradually clothed in the previous season's detritus. A Black-capped Chickadee almost lands on me as I watch a Hairy Woodpecker search for insects in decaying wood. 

I recall a trip many years ago to the Amalfi Coast in Italy where I was enamoured with unusual doors. I began photographing their uniqueness. A man walking by stopped and asked what I was doing. I told him that I found the doors intriguing. Later in the day, he saw me again and told me that he, too, was now really looking at doors. I have always seen my role as encouraging people to see. So it is with this in mind that I am sharing some photos that I took today. 

While enjoying this nature adventure, I think about COVID-19 and how many people are anxious and depressed. I also start thinking about sharing my nature experiences in order to provide hope and beauty and a respite from the darkness. Years ago, I wrote articles about nature, sharing my passion. It is time to do it again. I welcome your thoughts and questions. My readers' comments have always been an inspiration to me and fired my creativity. 

NATURE WALK by Marlene Walker

The flaming oranges and yellows of late autumn has inspired me to renew my blog.

Yours in nature,

Marlene Walker

Oct. 16, 2020

Photos - A Tribute to My Retreat Participants

A Tribute to my Retreat Participants

As life unfolds, some chapters close while others open. In April I held my ‘last’ natural history and photography retreat. I have been involved with this venture for three years, providing weekend retreats to both novice and avid photographers and to those who enjoy nature. The delight I feel in sharing nature with others has been satisfying and has fuelled my own enthusiasm and curiousity. This article is a tribute to the eight individuals who participated in this most recent adventure.

Let me introduce you to the group. Nellie, a long time friend came for her first retreat and I was honoured to have her creative spirit as a cornerstone in the group. Janice is a relatively new friend, the first person who ever signed up for my retreats when I didn’t even know what I would be doing. We have since developed a valued friendship which I cherish. Judy was on her third retreat with me and we too have developed a special bond. She brought Kelsey, who was now on her second retreat and we have also maintained contact. I was privileged to attend her solo photography show in March of this year. Judy also invited me to speak at her woman’s group and there I met Bonnie, who practically signed up on the spot. Her enthusiasm was electric. And then there was Lee; she wanted to give the retreat as a gift to her daughter, Sara. Sara provided her own expertise willingly, teaching all of us about the vegetation and delighting us with her photographic forays ‘outside of the box’. I met Ron at an organizational dinner where we talked about what we each did. He registered and then surprised me with his girlfriend, Karen, who was going to be in Toronto, from Calgary, on our retreat weekend. He specifically noted that Karen wasn’t a photographer and would like to enjoy the scenery and some books. Well, she offered surprises as demonstrated by her photo accompanying this column. And so Ron was surrounded by two harems. He didn’t flinch and was a good sport.

These eight people became a group immediately. It seems that with like-minded people, those who love both people and nature, the fit is usually easy. It reminds me of my previous career in Social Work when I was involved in group dynamics. There are stages of group development and as I am experienced in this area, I try to be sensitive to the needs of both the individuals and the group. The group was cohesive but they were also individuals. My mantra was ongoing, ‘Where’s Sara?’, ‘where’s Kelsey?’, where’s Janice?’ On her third retreat, I knew that Janice was familiar with the trails, but still I like to know everyone’s whereabouts.

I focused primarily on macro photography and continually searched for Spring wildflowers. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t co-operate and cold damp, rainy weather prevailed for all of Saturday. We did see the dappled leaves of the Trout Lily but the charming yellow bell-like petals eluded us. Nor did we see a Spring Beauty or Dutchman’s Breeches, early harbingers of Spring. But despite the lack of wildflowers, and the inclement weather, there were wonderful photographic opportunities created by early morning frost, rainwater turned to ice and intriguing reflections.

This column is a tribute to eight special people who became a special group. I have chosen one photograph from each person as testimony to their curiousity, creativity and learning process. As all of us critiqued the work of the others, there were certain photos that ‘spoke’ to each of us. I have chosen my personal favourites. To each of you, thank you for allowing me to share a wonderful weekend with you, learning, sharing , inspiring and growing together as photographers and as people.

Autumn Treasures

Every fall, the first leaf that falls on me or before my feet gets picked up. J Richler

At the Water

Exploring Nature Through the Lens - Photos

Exploring Nature Through the Lens

Marlene Walker
Copyright, 2007

Exploring nature is all about seeing. One can wander in the woods and not really ‘see’ the delicate beauty thrusting through the dry detritus or the forest floor swollen with new growth and coloured with ephemerals. The Spring Beauty is delicate while the Red Trillium flaunts its red-burgundy blush. The White Trillium dances and Dutchman’s Breeches, a species of the Bleeding Heart sub-family, has a cascading habit. Each wildflower has its own time in the sun withering as the verdant luscious canopy draws an umbrella over the forest floor.

I enjoy walking in the woods with or without my camera in hand. And although I relish the solitude of my special time, I also delight in time spent with those who want to learn natural history and photography. Carol is the perfect student. Reluctant initially to entertain the idea of belly-down contact with her subjects, she soon adapts to the challenge.

Teaching and learning are intricately related; I always learn when I teach. Carol points out things of which I’m unaware and I teach her the magic of macro (close-up) photography.

I demonstrate how to remove the clutter around her subject and focus on what she really wants to photograph. How do you remove extra foliage, branches and rocks that you don’t want in the photograph without actually doing so? I encourage her to alternate positions, and walk around the subject to find the best angle. Many people ‘point and shoot’ which is fine if you want a photo for purely documentary purposes. If, however, you’re shooting for aesthetics, one needs to compose the shot. Look up, look down and look sideways. Stand on your tiptoes, crouch or lie down. You’ll be pleasantly surprised that the image can be shot in infinite ways and means.
I call this exercise ‘simple elegance’. Your photo will be something special as you ‘remove’ the extraneous. I love the challenge of a ‘busy’ potential photograph, finding ways to extricate the significant components, and refining them into simple elegance.

Remember that negative space plays an important role in your composition. Are there spaces, gaps, or holes that add interest to your photograph? What do you want your background to be? A dark tree trunk against a delicate flower adds interest, depth and emotion. Don’t be afraid to practice. Digital photography provides the opportunity of experimentation at no additional cost. You can try different angles and positions of the same subject and critique your own images.

And then there are the magical places and spaces that enrapture your heart and captivate your soul. Spend time enjoying the ambiance, the scents, the textures, the patterns and feeling the mood. You don’t even have to photograph it. Return to the place at different times of the day and in the different seasons. You will always find something new.

I find a magical place when I walk with Carol. I also have a mental image of a photo that I don’t capture with my camera. It’s one of those photo prospects that happen but you’re not ready for it. It remains in your ‘mind’s eye’ forever. We are quite high along an embankment above a fast moving river when a sudden flash of red, green and white in a characteristic horizontal posture flies by directly above the river and level to our elevation. The sun’s rays make the green head iridescent and the red-orange bill a beacon. We are awe-struck by the splendour of a male Common Merganser.

The camera is a tool, an instrument with capabilities, but it is through your eye that the camera captures images. You are the director, the producer and the editor. Have fun with your camera. Get down on your stomach, lie on your back, peer between the undergrowth and up into the excavated holes left by a Pileated Woodpecker. The possibilities are endless, and your photo opportunities are infinite.

Exploring nature is a lifelong gift.

Nature and a Musical Interlude

Marlene Walker
Copyright, 2008

Whenever I travel, my plans always include a good dose of nature, not to mention the spontaneous or serendipitous events that just happen. And so while visiting my parents in Florida last month, I made sure to explore the fascinating Anne Kolb Nature Center south of Fort Lauderdale. First introduced to me by my father many years ago, it has become one of my favourite places.

Named for a dedicated environmentalist, this nature preserve features mangrove forests, mudflats and tidal pools accessed by boardwalks and observation stops. About 4:30 in the evening, Joel and I drove there, accompanied by our friends. We were warned about the No-See-Ums, the tiny, almost invisible midges that bite. Despite the incessant biting, the experience was memorable.

Early settlers to South Florida regarded mangrove forests as being useless, mosquito-infested, uninhabitable lands. Today, ecologists realize their important role in coastal ecosystems. Mangrove leaves, trunks and branches fall into the water and are transformed into detritus, which is the basis of an elaborate food chain. Mangroves provide protected habitat, breeding grounds and nursery areas to many terrestrial and marine animals. Mangroves also provide shoreline protection from wind, waves and floods. Taken from http://sofia.usgs.gov/virtual_tour/wlak/index.html


Embraced by mangrove wetlands we walked the boardwalk which terminated at a lovely gazebo perched over West Lake. Being late in the day, we appeared to be the only human visitors.

It was high tide so the mudflats were not exposed which limited shorebird sightings. What we did enjoy however were the multitude of White Ibis with their de-curved bills that flocked to their overnight roost in a mangrove across at the opposite shore. In groups of five or six birds, the Ibis congregated to this one area from all directions. As each group appeared, we pointed in the various directions to alert the others. By sunset, there were hundreds.

While mesmerized by the Ibis, in the distance high in the thermals were dozens of Turkey Vultures. Closer to our observation deck was a Belted Kingfisher that entertained us with diving displays for its evening meal. I attempted to photograph it but the lighting was dimming too quickly.

We watched the western sky perform the beauty of sun-setting and the special after-glow that often escorts its aftermath. While we were enjoying this mangrove diorama, a lone figure wearing a backpack advanced towards us. Sitting down on the bench, he said to all of us, ‘Do you mind if I make some noise?’ A little disarmed that our solitude was about to be broken, I asked him, ‘What kind of noise?’ In response, he opened his backpack and removed an unusually shaped box. Hewn of beautiful Padeuk wood with tongue-like slits, it was magnificent. Brian introduced himself and began drumming the box. This was not ‘noise’; it was music!

What a treat! Surrounded by the beauty of dusk, the air was filled with pentatonic rhythm. The drumming was deep, rich and resonant. Instead of being an intrusion, the delight we felt with Brian’s musical interludes was special. He explained that the instrument was an ancient musical instrument with ‘tongues’ or keys on the playing surface. The Tongue Drum as it is known, is part of the Idiophone family of instruments which when hit vibrates throughout its body. Found in African, Asian and South American cultures, the Tongue Drum has served many functions including story-telling and beating war-cries. (see www.tonguedrum.com).

Brian asked if anyone wanted to try playing. I enthusiastically accepted the offer. With the drum sticks and my fingers I tapped the shiny wood grain, feeling its history throughout the centuries and reveling in the musical notes that floated over the lake and into the mangroves. As darkness settled in, we thanked Brian for adding such pleasure to an already perfect evening.

The 'Treat 'in Nature Retreat

Marlene Walker
Copyright, 2008

Last weekend provided a melee of weather conditions from Spring-like warmth which enticed wildflowers to a damp chill which encouraged extra layers of clothing. Precipitation was also mixed from light rain to a torrential downpour that lasted hours with wind to match. After the rains which ended just before dusk, the sky put on a display. I stood on the deck overlooking the lake and watched as a gentle mist rose into the tree canopy and the clouds danced with a swatch of gray, pink and yellow. It was a performance I won’t forget. In the aftermath of this, the highlight was the sunset. I walked towards the blaze of colour as it descended quickly into the western horizon. I looked down at a puddle that reflected the image but with both the diminishing light and the disappearing act, I didn’t capture the image on my camera. In my mind’s eye however, it was photographed.

Now, several days later, as I think about the ‘sunset’ event, I reflect on how nature mimics our own lives. Sometimes nature’s fury unleashes chaos with torrential rains, hurricanes or other natural disasters; other times there is serenity, perhaps most exemplified by calm water. Our lives are filled with challenges, some we can control and some we cannot. Some challenges we create, others we undertake or inherit. I find that an intimate involvement with nature is a wondrous way to put life into perspective and at the same time give balance. Retreating from everyday activities and putting oneself into a quiet place is a ‘treat’. Even as a young girl, I would go into the woods, find a large rock and sit in that ‘quiet’ place. It gave me an opportunity to be ‘with myself’, to think or not to think, to listen to birdsong and to re-charge. I knew even then that nature was a wonderful antidote.

I wake up early and set out on a trail. Birdsong greets me as soon as I walk outdoors. A Winter Wren, with its characteristic long, high frequency trill is the first songster I hear. I search low on the ground for this harbinger of Spring, although its song resonates in the canopy. In fact it usually sings from about three feet off the ground where it perches on a fallen log or a rotting tree stump, never too far away from shelter. Only four inches long with a tail that sticks up perpendicular to its body, this tiny bird sings like a giant. My friend joins me and I point in the direction of the music. He shakes his head. The frequency is too high for his limited hearing range. He turns up his hearing aid, but to no avail. I realize how fortunate I am to have the gift of birdsong.

Further along the trail I hear a White-throated Sparrow, a beautiful songbird. The male has a white throat and yellow ‘lores’ between the eye and bill. Its melodious song offers variations on a theme, ranging from five notes, consisting of two clear notes followed by three quavering notes to shortened versions comprised of one, two or three notes. A Yellow-Rumped Warbler joins in, followed by a Song Sparrow. A cacophony of song fills the forest. It is an organized ‘chaos’, but it is possible to learn to filter out the sounds and focus on one song. Just like our own challenges, we can focus on one at a time.

I return from my walk in the woods, exhilarated and exhausted. I’ve found new nature ‘gems’, and witnessed spring growth. The cycle of the seasons is comforting, predictable and exciting. Retreating from everyday life for a day, a weekend or even an hour is a ‘treat’. It rejuvenates my mind and soul. Experiencing nature is one way to achieve balance in our lives. It is a special present that we can give ourselves.