Aussie Kamana Tip no. 1: Field Guides by Kamana Student Matt Forde
The Kamana Program is
a North American Program created by experts with 25+ years of experience in
Naturalist studies and education. They use Field Guides and resources that have
been carefully selected to enhance the learning experience and serve as the "village
elders and mentors". My Kamana studies in Australia began
with no background knowledge , no idea about available Field Guides or the best
one's to use.
The Field Guides
listed below have been chosen and recommended from my experimentation and
understanding why the North American Field Guides were chosen. For this reason,
they are recommended from my experiences with the journaling process. Other
local Field Guides that I am not aware of maybe more useful, however to get you
started, keep this in mind: Why reinvent the
wheel?
Field Guide Tips:
1 Mammals and Birds- contain coloured line
drawings that are anatomically correct, positioned horizontally in baseline,
most relaxed body position that emphasizes field identification marks.
2 Plants- Line drawings that clearly show
leaf type, arrangement, flowers with simple basic text set out under key
headings.
3 Trees - Photographs of bark for
identification, coloured line drawings with leaf type, arrangement, flowers
,fruit and overall form or shape of tree or shape.
4 Range Maps- essential for journaling
5 Cronin's Key Guides:Very simple guides to use, excellent for most
aspects of the Program, particularly for Hazards, Ecological Indicators, plants
and trees, and can be used to supplement bird and mammals. The text is very
well set out under key headings, user friendly. The only limitation is
illustrations of birds and mammals are not anatomically correct, or emphasise
field marks, so do not recommend using them to develop your mind's eye sketches
in the journaling process. 6 Where possible borrow Field Guides from local
libraries, look in 2nd-hand book shops or look on the internet for
good deals. Or borrow from friends.
7 Use "post it notes", page markers. Place them
within Field Guide on species to be studied the night or day before. Saves a
lot of time. Especially helpful when journaling mammals using " Tracks, scats
and other Traces".
Aussie Kamana Tip no. 2: Mind's Eye Journaling
30 Minute Mind's
Eye Journaling: If there is
one tip I could give to anyone beginning Kamana on the Resource Trail is "let go of the need to be perfect".
I fell into this trap and found it challenging to get out of. The point of
Journaling is not to regurgitate what is already contained within the Field
Guide & reproducing perfect artworks of the plants and animals we are
studying. John Young emphasizes the most important thing in the journaling
process is developing and using the Mind's Eye. This cannot be overemphasized. Do not get caught
up in the details, otherwise the Kamana becomes like University, or like a hard
slog, bogged down and loses the magic.
It is common for
people in Kamana to get bogged down in the journaling process( I was one of
them), particularly with Trees and Mammals. Do not make the same mistake I and
many other people make taking 90 minutes to complete a journal. Jon Young has
set it up to make 30 minute journals using our mind's eye. It is not about
knowing everything or being perfect. It is about creating mental file cards,
developing new patterns in the brain for quick observation, becoming a "Scout".
A good way to begin is allow 45 minutes, then set a goal to decrease the time
each time you do another journal. You can always go back later to learn more.
Developing the Mind's eye is the priority.