How do you look at landscapes ?

We each look at a landscape in a particular way.
A geographer will have a particular view, a geologist another, a botanist another, a developer another, a hydrologist another, a walker another... etc...

Part of the study of landscapes should be an attempt to explain to students that this particular issue is one that they need to appreciate: that we all have our own internal landscapes which inform our views on the external landscapes that we encounter.

Sometimes landscapes are what we imagine.

Robert MacFarlane in "Mountains of the Mind" talks about how our cultural perceptions, emotional baggage, thoughts and ideas create a landscape as surely as geology has shaped it."

When conservationists bring imagination to landscapes they call it 'opportunity mapping': looking at landscapes not in terms of what is there, but what MIGHT be.

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Making Space for Sand

Making Space for Sand is a project I was made aware of recently. The ‘Building Community Resilience on a Dynamic Coastline by Making Space for Sand’ project (also known as Making Space for Sand or MS4S) is one of 25 national projects funded by DEFRA as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme (FCRIP). The programme will drive innovation in flood and coastal resilience and adaptation to a changing climate. The project website has an excellent section outlining the formation of Sand Dunes, particularly within the located context of Cornwall. Sand Dunes are an important part of the coastal defences in the locations where they are found. I am particularly familiar with the dunes on the North Norfolk Coast at places like Holkham. I've previously carried out fieldwork on those dunes with both GCSE and 'A' level students, and also Atkins has provided GIS support and created some visualisations of future landscapes.

Landscape in a Box - more student examples

Thanks to Jack Marsh for sending me some examples of 'landscapes in a box '. Landscapes in a box is one of the ideas that seems to have gone down the best of the things that I've shared over the years. The basic idea is to create a landscape within a box, perhaps a burger box (but could also be a shoe box) This was featured in 'Teaching Geography' in 2009. Jack used the activity with his groups, and has sent me three excellent images of contrasting images from the students: an Antarctic scene, New York's Central Park, and Paris... Outstanding work !! If you've used Landscape in a Box, why not share your students' work too...

Landscape ideas...

Some nice ideas for exploring the rural landscape from FACE. Some from my GA colleague Paula Owens here. Go HERE to download your own copy.

"Look at it this way"

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