My project ideas are all coming together. Finally!
We went through our ideation process in my elective, and I've come out with three main ideas.
1. A platform in the woods to be used for "celebration" and student events, or whatever else.
2. An interactive map of campus that can be updated with data about different parts of campus. For example, people could go out and measure water quality, then update the map with an image of the stream and numbers like the pH, O2 content, etc. Or, if a new wildflower patch was blooming, someone could take a picture of it and it would pop up on the map.
3. Large-scape picture frames around campus. Walking by, people could look through them and see the "image" change as the angle changed. Throughout the year, the image would change as well, documenting the changes on campus and maintaining awareness. I could also start a tradition where photos are taken through the picture frames at certain dates, so that the change is recorded.
I like my last idea (picture frames) because it very well fulfills my original goal - to inspire conservation by making people think differently about the land on campus, and making people aware of the natural world around them. I think this is important because so often, people don't realize what's happening because it happens so slowly. Last year, there were trees in front of the Woods Hall parking lot and a few rolling, grass-covered hills in secondary succession behind them. My enviro class took walks there all the time and studied the area around there. This year, I came to school in August and there were no more trees by the parking lot. The earth was moved, concrete was laid down, and a track was put up. This is positive change for Woodlawn in many ways, but I can't help feel sad that the natural space is not there anymore. Around the high school, however, I didn't really find anyone else who felt that there had been a big change. I think that this was because I had simply spent more time there, looking at the landscape before it had been changed. If I can do anything with this project, I want to make people see the campus and remember it so they can tell when it is changed.
The picture frames will connect to my idea about landscape aesthetics, they will draw attention to the land, and they will connect people to the campus in a dynamic and personal way.
We went through our ideation process in my elective, and I've come out with three main ideas.
1. A platform in the woods to be used for "celebration" and student events, or whatever else.
2. An interactive map of campus that can be updated with data about different parts of campus. For example, people could go out and measure water quality, then update the map with an image of the stream and numbers like the pH, O2 content, etc. Or, if a new wildflower patch was blooming, someone could take a picture of it and it would pop up on the map.
3. Large-scape picture frames around campus. Walking by, people could look through them and see the "image" change as the angle changed. Throughout the year, the image would change as well, documenting the changes on campus and maintaining awareness. I could also start a tradition where photos are taken through the picture frames at certain dates, so that the change is recorded.
I like my last idea (picture frames) because it very well fulfills my original goal - to inspire conservation by making people think differently about the land on campus, and making people aware of the natural world around them. I think this is important because so often, people don't realize what's happening because it happens so slowly. Last year, there were trees in front of the Woods Hall parking lot and a few rolling, grass-covered hills in secondary succession behind them. My enviro class took walks there all the time and studied the area around there. This year, I came to school in August and there were no more trees by the parking lot. The earth was moved, concrete was laid down, and a track was put up. This is positive change for Woodlawn in many ways, but I can't help feel sad that the natural space is not there anymore. Around the high school, however, I didn't really find anyone else who felt that there had been a big change. I think that this was because I had simply spent more time there, looking at the landscape before it had been changed. If I can do anything with this project, I want to make people see the campus and remember it so they can tell when it is changed.
The picture frames will connect to my idea about landscape aesthetics, they will draw attention to the land, and they will connect people to the campus in a dynamic and personal way.