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The Anthropocene

This week, we travelled to Minyon Falls, which in reality was an empty gorge devoid of water due to extreme drought. From the top of the gorge, I could see where the river used to flow through the vegetation, creating patches of palm trees in the dense rainforest. Above the gorge, Eucalyptus trees thrive in the dry climate. We learned that these trees are susceptible to forest fires because they are so dry and oily. While walking through the rainforest I noticed burnt bark on some trees and wondered if it was from a bush fire that was man made or a wildfire that was a natural occurrence. In one of our readings, Defining the Anthropocene , the authors, Lewis and Maslin state that humans have had a drastic influence on the environment including land transformation and altering the composition of the atmosphere. They suggest that the epoch we currently live in is not the Holocene, but the Anthropocene: an epoch that started with human’s significant alterations to Earth’s geology and eco...
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Quiet Country on Bundjalung Land

The walk along the northern coastline, managed by the Bunjalung people in Arakwal country this week made me think about Aboriginal connection to land. Our guide, Auntie Delta, is an Arakwal custodian of the land and took us through the forest and up the coastline cliffs to the Cape Byron Lighthouse. Today, more than 66% of Arakwal people work on country and they gained their first Native Title in 1996, which is a major accomplishment for the Bundjalung people. She pointed out plants such as Eucalyptus which is used to cure headaches and make shelter and Swamp lilies that ease bug bites and jellyfish stings. She walked through the forest easefully, clearing parts of the path blocked by branches and smiling at the sun through the tree branches. Bruce Pascoe emphasized this relationship between country and people in his book Dark Emu , by including journal entry excerpts by colonizers. Some acknowledged the Aboriginal farming and fishing engenuity but couldn't understand how the re...
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Broken Head Trail Inquiries and Observations by Skylar Silvera

This morning, after two hours of biking the coast line of Byron Bay due to poor navigation skills, we found ourselves at Broken Head trail with our two Professors, Soenke and Nigel. I have a strong affinity for nature, so as soon as I arrived to the beach I was reminded of how excited I was to be in a semester that incorporates the beautiful environment Australia has to offer, in our education.  Soenke and Nigel informed us about the benefits of walking in silence, it allows us to be more present and aware of our surroundings; the smells, the sounds, the feeling of the ground underneath our bare feet, etc. I was very familiar with the concept after walking the Camino de Santiago this summer. Today I tried my best at listing some questions I had about the environment, what I noticed, and how I felt.  From the start, I began to wonder why my mood is lifted so high everytime I’m under a canopy of trees. I thought at first it was a feeling of home, but the Cottonwoods on th...
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