Normally, I would never suggest that "it's all about being seen" - that does sound just a little, well, egocentric.
Perhaps it's shyness or a degree of introversion, but the idea of attracting undue attention to myself is something not normally entertained. Indeed, I even spent a meaningful number of years in my vocation with an agency that not only provided unique clothing for the purpose of "blending" with the environment, but provided some very useful instruction in the art and craft of actually "evading" unwanted attention! I remember well, while on exercise in a thickly forested training area in northern Europe, I once was so successful in ensuring that my designated vehicle was properly camouflaged, that it was quite possibly only by a stroke of good luck that we actually found it again! Yup, there was a bit of good-natured ribbing over that one.
Having said that, there are times when we should probably do all that we can to be "seen".
I've previously shared some thoughts here about visibility on the water and the clear advantages of reflective and highly visible materials on both kayaks and clothing. Increasingly however, there are kayaks on the water that are not so easy to spot and paddlers whose PFDs and clothing blend all too well with the water. Some of these boats look incredibly cool but, again, they are not easy to see and I'm not so sure that's a good thing. It becomes an issue when you are sharing the waters with larger, often very powerful boats, with drivers who may not be looking for us or who are distracted for any number of reasons. The idea of sea kayakers being referred to, by the Coast Guard, as potential "speed bumps" does not engender confidence!
I will admit that our kayaks both look a little like someone lost control with a roll of reflective tape but we know there's a good chance that we'll be seen in the event of any need to be "found" at night. PFDs and paddling jackets provide a "splash" of mango or red in the day time. Our kayaks are yellow and "mint" (think '56 Chevy "robin's egg blue") - they can't be confused with very much in nature. In some ways, the colours may look a little dated but, for us, the important thing is that there's a good chance we'll be seen. And honestly, it ain't about ego. :-)
Just seems like a good idea.
Duncan.
, which in my opinion should be every day, I decided to put together this post to remind myself what is important. To do that I needed to ask myself what I would do if I did not have contact with the natural world, if there were no birds left in the sky or wildlife was so scarce that I would be unable to find it to photograph, or if I were unable to find places where I could walk in the shelter of trees listening to birdsong, to sit beside a stream or pond listening to insects drone, close my eyes and soak up the peace which only nature can provide for me. I realized very quickly that being unable to do so would simply be devastating to me.
and their habitat on this world, and the world itself. In so doing we also protect and nurture ourselves, as everything on this planet, which is our home, is connected. So the best way for me to celebrate Earth Day, I decided was to share some of the images of wildlife that I have collected over the years, and in so doing sharing some of the joy collecting them has brought to me.
