I have found that the best way to connect with nature is to go out and experience a piece of land. This creates an experience that is relevant to the time and space that I exist within and is more rewarding than depending solely on videos and photographs. This allows my senses to come alive and opens opportunities to grow emotionally and spiritually.

This writing details my experiences with the Everett Casey Nature Center and Reserve. Through the course of a year, ideas grounded in sense of place, mindfulness of walking and ethics of land use guided me to a larger appreciation of the land and a deeper sense of belonging within the landscape. The act of walking in the land allowed for spiritual growth and an evolution of my thoughts. Considering the ethics of the land and how other creatures use it I began to have a greater understanding of my personal impact in the world.

Casey Land Rambles was created as a reflection of the spiritual and emotional growth I achieved through continual interaction with the Everett Casey Nature Center and Reserve. By utilizing mediums that created immediate results while working in the landscape to document the interactions between plant, animal and human life I began to gain a deeper understanding of the connections between these life forces. The installation work allows the viewer to enter a state of mind similar to my own when I am at the Casey Land. As the viewer becomes a participant interacting with the installations their mind slows and their senses become heightened. They begin to feel their own emotions keenly through this interaction and heightened awareness allows new opportunities to connect to a deeper sense of belonging with the natural world. This exhibition continues my exploration into how we relate and interact with the outdoors and its effect on our psyche.