Baseline Symphony

I first learned the term Baseline Symphony during the advanced Tracking and Awareness class at Tom Brown Jr's Wilderness Survival School in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. It refers to the degree of sounds and movements in nature which are typical for a particular area on the landscape at a given time. Some of the main conditions governing this degree of sound and motion are time of day, season of the year, weather conditions, and pollution. In each different area on the landscape, the symphony changes. In the more natural areas, the Baseline Symphony can be like a magnificent musical composition. Even near the world of man baseline symphonies can be riveting, expansive, and stress relieving.
          
All landscapes are unique. In becoming accustomed to the Baseline Symphony of a particular area, we set ourselves up to notice the variances, to learning nature's sophisticated language. We belong to the land. By learning its baseline symphonies we respect that ownership, and in respecting it, open ourselves up to a two way communication with it. The Baseline Symphonies offered here are segments of real time news from the wilderness. Tom often refers to a quote from Stalking Wolf which states that awareness is the most important skill we can possess. Finding the spectacular in the so-called mundane is key to developing awareness. My favorite tool for finding the spectacular in the mundane is the Sit Area.  read more....