NYERGES, C. (2020): Guide to getting around without a compass: How to find your way using the sun, stars, and other natural methods of navigation. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing. 154 p.

GOOLEY, T. (2011): The Natural Navigator: A Watchful Explorer’s Guide to a Nearly Forgotten Skill. New York, NY: The Experiment Publishing. 250 p.

LISCUM, E.; ASKINOSIE, S. K.; LEUCHTMAN, D. L.; MORROW, J.; WILLENBURG, K. T. & COATS, D. R. (2014): Phototropism: growing towards an understanding of plant movement. – The Plant cell, 26(1): 38-55.

Moss does for a fact prefere moist places which are often on the northern side which receives the least light (see Growth of Trees towards the Sun). However, the growth my be additionally influenced by less steeper parts of the bark as well as holes and hollows which revise the influence of the light and play more into the slower evaporation of water.

If using this method watch out for these factors or safley use it in combination with other clues.

This research mainly draws on data from various books on the topic whose contents were critically evaluated and compared to extract the core ideas.

The project is structured into three main topics:

First, navigation by sun. Sun navigation is based on the different positions the sun takes up in the celestial sphere throughout the year. The sun always rises in an eastern direction and sets in a western direction. The exact rising and setting positions change over the year because of the tild of the earth and depend on the date and on the latitude of the observer.

Also the sun's position at noon can be used to determine cardinal directions. At noon in most parts of the northern hemisphere the sun is always in the south and in the southern hemisphere always in the north. To find out the cardinal directions at each time of the day the Shadow-Stick-Method can be used which works based on the shadows cast by the sun.

Second, the impact of the weather on the growth of plants: The phenomenon called phototropism which describes a plant growing towards the direction of the most light, which can be used to discern cardinal directions due to the fact that the sun sheds the most light in zenit which is in the Northern Hemisphere South and in the Southern Hemisphere North. Additionally, a prevailing wind shapes an isolated tree, which can be a strong clue if the direction of said wind - every place holds a predominant wind direction - is known to the observer.

Third, star navigation focuses on key constellations and their movements. In the north, the Big Dipper points to Polaris, which shows true north. Its height above the horizon matches your latitude, and you can measure this with an outstretched fist.

In the south, the Southern Cross (Crux) is used to find True South by extending its longer axis downward. Orion, visible in both hemispheres, is also important. Orion’s Belt points to Sirius, the brightest star, and Orion rises in the east and sets in the west, helping with direction.

It can be concluded that while the use of nature in matters of orienting is always strained by a certain subjectivity of the individual and can never keep up with modern technology, it definitely can be fun to use the knowledge and in some cases even helpful or life-saving.

This OER offers an overview of said clues nature offers for orienting as well as learning material to memorize them in form of texts, a video and a quiz

A decidious tree is even better because it reacts stronger to sunlight and the clues which are later discussed are better to be seen.

After having found the perfect tree, always do a full circuit and then paint a picture

• Our earth is rotating around it self from west to east. The rotation axis is the axis from north pole to south pole

• The earth orbit around the sun

• The earth is tilted around 23,5° to the "orbiting plane" around the sun

The best and easiest way to use the sun for navigation is to:

• observe the position where the sun rises and sets

• observe where the sun is at noon (what path the sun takes during the day)

• use the stick method to determine the cardinal directions

But everywhere on earth there can be oberserved the same pattern:

• 21.06.: sun rises north of east and sets north of west

• 21.12.: sun rises south of east and sets south of west

• 21.03 & 22.09: sun rises due east and and sets due west

  
  

How far the sun rises and sets maximally north and south on 21.06. and 21.12. depends on the latitude. As a rule of thumb: The higher you latitude the more north or south the sun rises and set.

For germany the sun rises and sets almost NE and NW on 21.06. and on 21.12. the sun rises and sets almost SE and SW.

in this area the sun can't be in cenit of the observer.

For the northern hemisphere (>23,5° N) applies that the sun is always seen south at noon so the sun rises in an eastern direction, travels over the southern horizon and sets in western direction.

In contrast of this in the southern hemisphere (>23,5° S) the sun is always seen north at noon so the sun rises in an eastern direction, travels over the northern horizon to a western direction where it sets.

Answer the following questions:

1. What materials do you need for this method?

2. What can you find out with this method?

3. What precondition should the ground have to perform this method?

4. How does this method work?

5. When is the shadow shortest and when is it longest?

6. In which general direction is the shadow wandering everywhere on earth when using this method (general/approximate direction)?

7. How precise is this method?

This phenomenon is called phototropism, when talking about sunlight heliotropism.

The most sunlight is received by a given place on the ground when the sun stands at the highest angle, which is the case in the Northern Hemisphere for South and in the Southern Hemisphere for North.

These two facts combined let us conclude that a plant or a tree grows towards South in the Northern Hemisphere and towards North in the Southern Hemisphere. This phenomenon is best seen on tree branches or in stumps of cut down trees, where the rings are thicker towards the South.

In Germany, wind most likely blows from the NW, in UK e.g. it blows from the SW.

Things You Should Know

• Stars used for navigation vary, depending on which hemisphere you're in, north or south as the stars in the northern hemisphere can't be seen from the southern hemisphere, and the other way around.

• In Northern Hemisphere Polaris indicates true North

• In Southern Hemisphere Southern Cross guides towards south

FYI

We have asked Tristan Gooley, author ot The Natural Navigator to use his pictures and he kindly agreed.

We are allowed to show them in the presentation but not to upload them, we hope for your understanding.

The discussion depends on these pictures so simply look at the projection ;)