Virtual Sound Walk

Posted by howtodrawatree_rhfgd6 on

Begin here – Stop 0

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Stop 0

Introductions and Instructions

Hi. My name is Dawn Matheson and I’m the artist behind this work. I’ll tell you a bit about this project first, then we will head to the start of the walk. 

You have just been linked to a story told with sound as you walk along a mapped route at The Arboretum at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Canada. 

You can also listen online from anywhere to experience a visual, accessible version of this sound walk on this website, created by artist Richelle Forsey.

This is the first sound walk in, hopefully, many to come, when this project moves into its second phase involving University of Guelph students. 

The title, HOW TO DRAW A TREE, is a play on words. It’s not really about drawing trees, though, you can if you want. 

This project looks at ways in which we can draw trees and nature to us for our mutual benefit…I believe that we’ve come apart and that is making us both ill. 

So, that is what we are doing on this walk—finding ways to get back together.

Here, the Forest has a voice and will be a narrator along with me. The soundtrack it creates will be unique for each one of you because the forest’s  voice changes with the seasons and the time of day.

While this story isn’t a sad one (It’s actually a love story), I do discuss mental illness—my own.  So, if anything I say brings up feelings that overwhelm, please visit our website for resources to access help. 

If you are a student, the University of Guelph Wellness Centre is supporting this project. Check them out on campus.

This walk is a little over 2 kilometres and should take a bit over an hour. This is not a fitness walk— in fact, it is the opposite.  I’m hoping you will take it SLOW…Inch along the forest floor like a millipede. Try to follow the pace of the footsteps in the soundtrack. It isn’t easy to go slow some of us!

There are 15 stops on this walk. Sometimes you’re stopped; sometimes you’re walking …just listen for the directions and the footsteps. 

OK, cross over this parking lot to the South-East corner directly across from you now You will see this stump logo on a post, under the maple trees.  

Once you’ve arrived,  press play for the first section of the walk. 

Stop 1

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SW corner of the parking lot at the large
Freeman’s Maple

Listen to Stop One
Colour photograph of a trail leading along the edge of a strand of maple trees into a forest.

Stop 2

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Entrance to Wild Goose Woods / Freeman’s Maple

Listen to Stop Two
colour photograph of a trail leading to a forest bounded by maple trees
colour photo of an entrance to a trail in an arboreta
a decorative aerial photograph of a boardwalk in a marsh land area
colour photograph looking up at a tall two trunk deciduous tree
colour photograph of the base of a tree and the weeds growing at the base.
colour photograph of buckthorn leaves
colour photograph of a detail of tree bark
colour photograph of a hole in a tree trunk
colour photo of an entrance to a trail in an arboreta
A colour photo of a view of trees in swampy waters

Stop 3

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Just before the Boardwalk

Listen to Stop Three
colour photo of a tree and the sky
colour photo of a tree growing in the middle of a trail
a colour photograph of tree roots and soil
colour photo of tree bark
colour photo looking up into a tall poplar tree
colour aerial photo of a boardwalk and trail in an arboreta
colour photo of a boardwalk in an arboretum
colour photo of a boardwalk in an arboretum
colour photo of grasses and trees in a marshland of an arboretum

Stop 4

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Peter’s Yellow Birch

Listen to Stop Four
colour photo looking up into a birch trees and a tree trunk of peeling bark
colour photo looking up into a birch trees and a tree trunk of peeling bark
colour photo of a birch tree's trunk of peeling bark
a decorative drone photograph of the arboretum forest
photo of a birch tree in the forest manipulated with blur to focus on one tree in the distance.

Stop 5

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Promenade

Listen to Stop Five
decorative photo of a pathway lined with trees
a decorative aerial photo of the a promenade road in the arboretum
decorative photo of a pathway lined with trees changing colour in fall

Stop 6

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Park in the Garden Sculpture

Listen to Stop Six
a colour detail photo of a red sculpture made of fiberglass
a colour photo of people around a sculpture in a park
a colour photo of a blue sky obscured by a sculptural object
a colour photo of a sculpture in a park from under a tree on a rainy day

Stop 7

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Japanese Garden

Listen to Stop Seven
a colour photo if a plaque with a zen proverb that reads: before enlightenment chopping wood carrying water. after enlightenment chopping wood carrying water. in a bed of thyme.
a colour photo pf green thyme growing in an outdoor garden
a colour photo of a reflection of a magnolia tree in a pool of water.
a colour photo of a magnolia tree with pink blooms in a Japanese garden.
a colour photo of a magnolia tree with pink blooms in a Japanese garden. In the background a hedge of evergreen shrubs and trees can be seen against a blue sky background.
a decorative aerial photograph of Sakura trees in full bloom next to a Japanese Zen Garden.

Stop 8

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Shrubbery Grove

Listen to Stop Eight
a colour photograph of a honey bee on the blossom of a purple thistle
a colour photograph of a pathway into a forested area of the Arboretum.
a colour photograph of a large shrub surrounded by trees.
a decorative aerial image of trees and shrubs of The Arboretum.

Stop 9

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Entrance to W-C Memorial Forest Trail

Listen to Stop Nine
An aerial image of trees and trails in the Arboretum
A colour photograph of a trail label with the letters WC
Colour photograph of trees and a trail with sunlight filtering from the background.
A colour photo of a trail into the forest
A colour photo of a hawk perched on a tree branch, looking over its shoulder towards the camera with one eye.
colour photo of the shadows of pine trees on forest trail floor covered in pine needles.
colour photo looking up into the branches of pine trees shading a forest trail

Stop 10

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Disc Golf Cage – Look out to Octopus Tree

Listen to Stop Ten
a colour photo of sun light filtered through trees illuminating a path
colour photo of a tree trunk split in half and branches of leaves growing out of the split parts
Acolour photo of trees and a lawn with a frisbee golf cage on the left side
a colour photo of a tree trunk split in half and growing out into the landscape in a field of snow covered ground
a colour photo of a tree trunk split in half and branches of leaves growing out of the split parts
a detail colour photo of a tree trunk split in half
a colour photo of a tree and blue sky
a colour photo underneath the shrubbery of a tree
a detail colour photo of moss growing on a tree
a panorama colour photo of a variety of trees and a green lawn

Stop 11

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Ponderosa Pine

Listen to Stop Eleven
a colour photo of a pine tree branch in the foreground and an evergreen tree in the background.
colour photograph of the shadow cast from a pine tree on the ground.
a colour photo of a ponderosa pine tree next to a trail on a sunny day
colour photo of a detail of pine tree bark
colour photo of pine tree needles on a branch
colour photo of pine tree branches against a blue sky
colour photo of trees

Stop 12

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Silver Maple near Ivy Trail

Listen to Stop Twelve
a decorative colour aerial photo of trees in an arboretum with trails wrapping around
a colour photo of a bench plaque with moss growing on it that reads: Mary Niven "All Mother's have smiley faces." Remembered for their steadfast courage, awesome strength, unfailing humour, and most of all our unconditional love of us all. Forever in our hearts, never forgotten. 1946-2007
colour photo of tree stumps with dandelions blooming nearby
a colour photo of a plague at the base of a tree that says Robert Duncan Thomas, February 17 1952-june 4 2000 Musician The Space between the notes. Above the plaque stands a tall maple tree extending up and beyond the frame of the photo.

Stop 13

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Katsuras

Listen to Stop Thirteen
a colour photo a bench in a forested area framed by green Katsura leaves and branches.
colour photo of a katsura branch and leaves
colour photo of ash tree branches and leaves
a colour photo of tree branches without leaves laying on the grass in a pile
colour photo of a dog on a leash on a trail walking towards a decorative arbour in the background
a decorative arbour over a trail under a tree
a colout photo of katsura tree branches covered in green leaves in the sunlight
a colour photo of katsua branches with green leaves framing the right side of a photo of a trail leading to trees in the distance.
colour photo of a forested area of katsura trees

Stop 14

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Hackberry

Listen to Stop Fourteen
colour photo of dandelions in seed in the grass at the base of a tree
colour photo of a field of dandelions and trees in the distance
colour photo looking up into a hackberry tree
a panorama of trees in an arboretum
a detail colour photo of the brown bark of a hackberry tree and a strip of sunlight
a colour photo of a right hand with a small start tattoo and a gold ring on holding a tree trunk
colour photo of galls on a dried up and dead hackberry leaf in the winter sunlight
colour photo of galls on a green hackberry leaf
a cicada nympth and its husk on the tree trunk of hackberry tree
colour photo looking up into a hackberry tree without leaves and the blue sky
a colour photo of a hand hlding a hackberry leaf covered in galls.
a detail photo of a twisted hackberry leaf covered in galls in the grass

Stop 15

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Return to the Katsuras

Listen to Stop Fifteen

Location 16

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Johntson Green: Future Site of the Tree Wellness Circle

This isn’t a stop on this walk, but it is the future site of Tree Wellness Circle.

an aerial photo of people in a circle next to a large tree
First tree planting at the Tree Wellness Circle, September 10, 2022.
an aerial photo of people in a circle next to a large tree on a lawn with a cluster of buildings just beyond a tree ridge behind them into the distance.
First tree planting at the Tree Wellness Circle, September 10, 2022.
an aerial colour photo of 2 people - one white man and and one black man on their hands and knees planting a tree together in a grassy area. Behind them people a re watching from the shade of a tree.
First tree planting at the Tree Wellness Circle, September 10, 2022.