Naturalist — Image by kenne
NATURALIST
She cares about the environment
She questions the conditions
She seeks knowledge
She answers the questions
She is a problem solver
She accepts the facts
She shares her world
She sees limitless horizons
She lives in the moment
She is a naturalist.
— kenne
Naturalist David Lazaroff and several other naturalists with the 2011 SCVN Training Class, Day 1 — Image by kenne
I was a member of the 2011 Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) class. During the fall training I wrote the following poem, posting it on this blog:
STANDING AT THE ALTAR OF NATURE
When we stand
at the altar of nature,
we stand with the greats;
Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Henry David Thoreau,
and John Muir,
each having helped define
our relationship
with nature and language –
“every natural fact is a symbol
of some spiritual fact,
. . . words are signs of natural facts.”
Nature’s beauty becomes
a source of spiritual energy
connecting all things
into a universal whole
with the energy of our
thoughts and will.
We stand at nature’s altar
not separate from her,
seeing her in the flowers,
insects, animals, mountains,
creating a unified landscape
of our inward and outward senses.
Like all relationships,
the experience depends
on the degree of harmony
between us and nature,
therefore becoming a gift
granted while walking with nature
as she is embraced in our minds –
Enlighten, she shares her secrets,
making the universe more “transparent.”
Yet the gift may only offer a glimpse,
to be shared in images and words,
charming all living things.
Commenting on my poem, SCVN member, Walt Tornow, wrote that my poem ”. . . captures beautifully my feelings about being in the mountains.” He went on to share the following:
GOD, GRACE, AND GRATITUDE
Finding God in the wilderness …
Here for the grace of God am I …
Grateful to be, to be here, and be given the opportunity and capacity to enjoy the many gifts/ blessings around me.
– Walt Tornow
Naturalist, Gwen Swanson, demonstrates “panning” to students in the “Strike It Rich” program.
This creekside activity allows children to learn about the difference between rocks and minerals
by panning for garnets in the sand along Sabino Creek, and the importance of water in forming the canyon.
Image by kenne
SCVN Training nature walk with naturalist, Bill Kaufman (Fall 2011) — Image by kenne
4-H photography students in Sabino Canyon — Images by kenne (Click on any of the tile photos to see a slideshow.)
Three Sabino Canyon Volunteer Nationalist (SCVN), Marty Horowitz, Jeffrey Banfield and myself spent a Friday afternoon with 4-H students interested in a photography nature walk in Sabino Canyon. Our objective was to provide knowledge information on nature and basic photography skills. The students hope to have a photo exhibit at the Pima County Fair. Some of the student’s families were also on the Sabino Canyon tour.
kenne
“Duck!” — Naturalist/Photographer, Jeffery Banfield Captures an Embarrassing Moment for Naturalist/Photographer Marty Horowitz at the Sabino Canyon Dam
— Tony Benn
Sabino Canyon Volunteer Nationalists training 8th grade students to become youth naturalists after a nature walk in the canyon.
— Image by kenne
— Frank Lloyd Wright
Dusty Talks To Kindergarten Students About Saguaro Ribs — Image by kenne
Naturalist, Jensine Ericksen On The Oracle Ridge Trail — Image by kenne
Spend time with nature
Enhancing your insight of star stuff
Spinning new passions
kenne
Image by kenne
Standing At The Altar Of Nature
When we stand at the
altar of nature,
we stand with the greats;
Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Henry David Thoreau,
and John Muir,
each having helped define
our relationship
with nature and language —
“Every natural fact is a symbol
of some spiritual fact,
. . . words are signs of natural facts.”
Nature’s beauty becomes
a source of spiritual energy
connecting all things
into a universal whole
with the power of our
thoughts and will.
We stand at nature’s altar
not separate from her,
seeing us in the flowers,
insects, animals, mountains,
creating a unified landscape
of our inward and outward senses.
Like all relationships,
the experience depends
on the degree of harmony
between us and nature,
therefore becoming a gift
granted while walking with nature
as she is embraced in our minds –
Enlighten, she shares her secrets,
making the universe more “transparent.”
Yet, the gift may only offer a glimpse,
to be shared in images and words,
charming all living things.
— kenne
Naturalist, Bruce Garrett — Image by kenne
Ned Harris — Image by kenne
Last Friday I learned that Ned Harris would be my mentor in the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists training program. Ned and I were able to connect Sunday by phone, during which he told me about Anne Green’s Sabino Canyon blog, his Flickr account and invited me to be part of a naturalists group he was leading on Mount Lemmon Wednesday (yesterday). What Ned didn’t know was his naturalists friends were planning a surprise birthday celebration as part of the scheduled potluck after the hike.
I’m very please to have Ned as my SCVN mentor, to say the least.
kenne
(I will be uploading more photos from Wednesday’s hike to my Flickr account soon.)
Video by kenne (The video is also in my Youtube account.)
Image by kenne
Related articles
Becoming is Superior to Being 
Fellow naturalist and blogger, Ann Green, posted the following this morning on her blog “Ann Green’s Blog” and per her request I’m sharing the post. In case you are wondering, this happens why too often.
kenne
No photographer wants credit for this
“I, Anne Green, hereby give notice that I have picked up the last diaper I’m ever going to pick up in Sabino Canyon.
Henceforth, if you feel you must leave some ‘thing’ that YOU BROUGHT INTO THE CANYON, leave your baby.
Please share this post.”
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