Jason T Fisher
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PHILOSOPHY

Because supposedly, I'm a Doctor of it.

Wildlife Research in a Tom Thomson painting

11/17/2017

3 Comments

 
I have always loved the northern boreal forest.

As a child, I saw my first Tom Thomson painting at the National Gallery in Ottawa: Pine Island, Georgian Bay. I was held enthralled by the colours of the bark, the shapes of the twisted and stunted branches, the ethereal hues of the sky. I stood for what seemed like hours, imagining myself immersed in that impossible tangle of pure wildness - if not hours, it was certainly long enough that I irritated my parents markedly.


Picture
When a young man, I took my first steps into that wild vastness to research red squirrels. I lost myself in those landscapes of drunken tilted black spruce, jack pines twisting aimlessly into grey heavens, and undulating bogs with fascinating carnivorous plants and bottoms so deep they threatened to swallow me whole. Some of my best hours were lived seated in the reindeer lichen with my back against the trunk of a white spruce tree, watching those animals eat, and nest, and play, and fight, and live. I became part of that landscape, a part of something ancient, and untameable, and Real.
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I recently returned to that beloved landscape. Our team launched a new research project: Wildlife CAMERA. We are deploying large remote-camera arrays across the Alberta boreal forest and Rocky Mountains to understand the effects of landscape and climate change. Camera trapping has revolutionized wildlife research. We can gain insights into animal behaviour, abundance, and interactions in ways never before possible. Deploying cameras into some of the most remote landscapes south of the Arctic isn't easy - but it is fun. The helicopter is a wild ride, of which I shall never tire. But once the helicopter lifts away, I am left in that perfectly still, perfectly random crash of bogs and spruces and limitless cold skies. And I become that young boy again, standing in the undefinable wildness of a Tom Thomson painting.
3 Comments
Olive Lindell link
8/17/2018 03:15:02

That is an amazing painting. It looks very captivating, no wonder why you stayed for hours just staring at it. As a person who admires trees and forests, I should say the northern boreal forest is really interesting. It looks great even with piles of snow covering the ground. I would also want to visit it someday and be captivated by its beauty in person. I like the fact that you went to the place that you had been wildly staring at on a painting as a child. More power to you! <a href="www.resumeshelpservice.com/careerperfect-com-review/">http://www.resumeshelpservice.com/careerperfect-com-review/</a>

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10/29/2018 22:14:22

The painting looks stunning. The way the trees are being blown by the wind is breathtaking, no big surprise why you remained for a quite a long time simply gazing at it. The Northern Boreal Forest looks intriguing and it looks incredible even with heaps of snow. I would likewise need to visit it sometime and be fascinated by its magnificence face to face. I would love to walk through the woods while my foot sunk in the piles of snow. That would be lovely.

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IndiaVisitOnline link
4/28/2024 21:33:30

Your adventure travel guide is my go-to resource for planning my next escapade. Your comprehensive insights and recommendations make every trip unforgettable. Thanks for being an invaluable travel companion!

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  • Home
  • About Me
  • MY RESEARCH
  • MY ACME Lab TEAM
  • PUBLISH OR PERISH
  • Scientific advisory
  • Philosophy
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  • Contact