Walkabout

How much do you know about your neighbor? Not even in the sense of human beings, but in regards to that Chinese Witchhazel on Lincoln field. Did you know that your favorite tree to lean up and study against on those warm Autumn afternoons is in fact a Lacebark Elm which is resistant to Dutch Elm disease? We interact with our surroundings every day, often without thought. Yet isn’t it strange that despite our unconscious pull toward these natural areas, we still are oblivious to the origins of our immediate environment?

Taking the time to take photos of Brown’s campus and its surrounding neighborhoods offered me perspective on how we treat nature. Luckily, Brown was built in a way in which buildings and foliage can coexist. Though we by no means live in a completely unaffected environment, for an urban city I think Brown is situated in an ideal enclave, where grassy fields, plants and trees thrive amongst the hustle and bustle of student life.

Though photographing in late October, I noticed the trees were still in their perpetual state of summertime green and gold. I had heard locals calling this the after-affects of the “Indian summer” Rhode Island had experienced, but nevertheless found it unsettling not to see the deeper reds and orange hues I associate with Autumn. The unusual warm weather also made my photoshoot seem uncharacteristically superficial. Where were the brisk winds of Fall? The crunch of the leaves beneath my shoes? Looking around, I didn’t see anyone staring in horror at the signs of seasonal reversal all around us. Then again, we are all very busy on this campus, aren’t we?

Wandering into the unexplored neighborhood that blends with Brown’s campus, I saw much of what is depicted above: tree-lined streets with the typical colonial houses of New England. Although these households enjoy the shade these trees provide, I’ve always wondered what would happen if we gave back to the trees as well. I tried to convey in my photograph the sense of protection these Spruce and Elm trees give. It’s as if the house is being guarded by branches and leaves. I was thankful not to see any blue vinyl on the houses I passed.

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