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I acknowledge the Djadjawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the traditional owners of the land and waterways here in Creswick. I acknowledge the Ancestors, Elders past, present, and emerging, and all First Nations People for taking care of this country for over 60,000 years. This is, was, and always will be Aboriginal land.

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As a creative response to the video, I chose to compose a soundscape/musical piece using an electric guitar and effects pedals incorporated with sampled sounds from the Creswick Forest. The musical piece captures the mood and expresses the temporal sounds, feelings, and thoughts that emerged from the experience. Engaging creatively with my instruments offered an opportunity to experiment and make unconventional dynamic sounds with the guitar, replicating the drama of creaking of trees, the sounds of wind as it whipped through the forest, the song of birds and nature’s composition.

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Immersed within the Creswick Forest on Djadjawurrung land, my senses heightened as the depth of temporal sounds echoed around the stunning undulating landscape. The physical presence of the towering trees engulfed the space, standing still, yet swaying gently in the breeze, their leaves fluttering in response to the elements. My eyes capture trees that have uprooted, fallen, lying on the forest floor, creating massive craters where the root system once thrived, now a reflection of the cycle of life, decay and decomposition. An array of bird songs filled the space in the trees above my head, alongside their calls bellowing from the depths of the forest hundreds of meters away.

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It started raining as I was filming, the droplets composing ambient sounds as they bounced off the forest and created the smell of rain. Puddles were forming from raindrops which rippled beautiful patterns on the water’s surface. My senses tune in to creaking and swishing sounds randomly emerging from leaves rustling within the trees. The sound of the occasional car driving past on the highway transforms aurally into ocean waves coming and going. My footsteps became one with the soundscape as every step taken composed a crackle and crunch of twigs, pine needles and the sounds of the earth beneath my feet.

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I stood still for moments with closed eyes, absorbing the atmosphere, feeling the energy of the forest recharging my body and mind, hypnotised by the forest choir stimulating all senses. Feeling deep connection to my surroundings, my nervous system speaks to me as its parasympathetic branch generates a slow rhythmic heartbeat and my ventral vagal state produces a deep calming sigh (Clarke, 2023). I return to my surroundings as the cool breeze dances upon on my skin. The floral scents and damp sweet textures in the air comfort me. Dappled light scatters all over the space, peering through the branches and leaves of gum trees. I am reminded by the video Dadirri (Ungunmerr, 2017), and the concept of “deep inner listening and quiet still awareness.”

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Through deep listening and this momentary connection to nature, all stress, anxiety, and worry is alleviated as my senses and imagination combine to experience nature’s atelier. I feel an innate connection with nature, a oneness with the realisation I am nature, which resonates with my understanding of the biophilia hypothesis; an innate predisposition to interact with nature, “moving forward from a dualistic perspective of humans being separate from nature to an understanding that humans form one part of nature” (Beggs & Townsend, 2021, p. 39).

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As I listen deeply to my surroundings and the resonance of my nervous system to its environment, my mind wanders and questions. Is the natural world’s language of light, sound, movement, smells, and textures communicating a message? As I notice I am present in the moment, I recognise no worries of the past nor concerns for the future. My mind is quiet, still, centred and aware. When was the last time I felt this peaceful connection? Was it when I was a child? Free from adult responsibilities, financial stress, academic and social pressures? Have I forgotten how to play, have fun, be curious, spontaneous, explore, experiment, and discover more about myself and the world? My deep listening encounter has me questioning life so profoundly. I am stunned. I am humbled. I am awe struck! My powerful experience in this moment highlights how children’s early play experiences with sound, movement, and drama, deliver a rich, informative learning and developmental outcome. “Most of what children need to learn during their early years cannot be taught. It’s discovered through play” (Wilson, 2007, p. 2).

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This experience has been deeply informative in considering the role of natural outdoor spaces for young children’s play. Natural environments create opportunities for children to connect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s history, traditions, and their strong relationship with Country (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022). There are abundant opportunities for children to wonder, inquire, imagine, explore, experiment, discover, socialise, collaborate, problem solve, and connect with the natural world and themselves. This outcome assists to nurture children’s self-esteem, confidence, autonomy, and promotes kinesthetic learning. Future practice in natural environments will see me encourage children to listen deeply with an awareness of their five senses, a wellbeing exercise for grounding children and regulating their nervous system, a tool they can take into the future. Further experiences incorporating grounding as a practice could include engaging children with natural environments, as discussed in Wilson (2018) “we want children to experience wonder, joy, excitement, and opportunities for earthing or grounding. In this context, earthing or grounding literally means placing the human body in direct contact with the land, which may take the form of soil, sand, water, grass, mud or other natural elements” (p. 21).

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Australian Government Department of Education. (2022). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Framework for Australia (V2.0). https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

Beggs, S., & Townsend, R. (2021). The Role of Connection in the Efficacy of Animal-Assisted Therapies: A Scoping Review. AOTEAROA New Zealand Social Work, 33(3), 34-47. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.188131443230363#

Clarke, J. (2023). Polyvagal Theory: How Our Vagas Nerve Controls Responses to Our Environment. Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/polyvagal-theory-4588049

Ungunmerr, M.-R. (2017, November 29). Dadirri [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tow2tR_ezL8

Wilson, R. (2018). Nature and Young Children: Encouraging Creative Play and Learning in Natural Environments. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315148533

Wilson, R. (2007). Nature and Young Children: Encouraging Creative Play and Learning in Natural Environments. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203940723