TGDA REATREATS TO THE INDIANA DUNES FOR THE FALL 2016 DESIGN FOR LIFE TRIP

September 23, 2016

On Friday September 23rd, 2016 TGDA took an ecological field trip to the Indiana Dunes. Hiking the Cowles Bog Trail the team sketched and observed natural conditions that define the National Park. The focus of the trip was to improve the team’s ability to read the landscape. Terry lead the morning hike and described to the team how she reads the landscape- what she looks for, how she interoperate what she sees, and how to infer what conditions produced the present state of the landscape, and much more. Being able to read the landscape identify what plant species are thriving in certain conditions naturally is critical to TGDA’s “Design for Life” approach to creating artificial urban environments. After lunch on the beach the team sketched on location to further develop their skills in representing and understanding of the natural landscape.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
-John Muir