Walking in Wetland
Palupõhja Nature School was located about 40 minutes by bus from the center part of Tartu. It was a lovely green lodge, and the whole area was covered with snow. There was no one but us, so it was very quiet. Thinking of spending a night in such nature, we were so excited. When we came into the lodge, homemade energy bars and pears were prepared. After receiving them and filling our water bottles with homemade hot mint tea, we headed out on our three-hour hike. For about the first hour, we walked through tall trees covered with snow. In some places, there are spaces with few trees, where people used to store potatoes and other foodstuffs. I felt that it would be hard to find where they buried those things with such a vast land. Since we did not get used to walking on snow, the hike exhausted us more than we could have imagined. To take a break, we climbed to a small gazebo. We were all impressed by the beautiful snowy landscape that filled the horizon. Though we took out our cameras, photos did not do a good job of capturing the scope of this landscape.
After a quick snack, we set out again. From this point on, the trees were lower, and we could clearly see the snow surface glistening as the sun reflected off the ground. There were some frozen parts along the side of the paths, and I could even stand on it. Looking closely at the ground, we found footprints smaller than human ones. According to our local guide, they were the footprints of rabbits and foxes. The guide told us that these footprints were made this morning because the snow had not yet accumulated on top of them, and their shapes had not yet been broken up. We couldn’t see the animals themselves, but we learned that animals and nature coexist in this beautiful environment. As we wondered how plants could grow in such a cold place, our guide showed us blueberry trees and rosemary trees. They were buried in snow, so it seemed to be dead at first glance. However, when we rubbed them with our palms, the aromatic scent of rosemary spread softly. This experience was so surprising for us.
Since we hiked on a well-maintained wetland hiking trail, it was not so hard to walk. However, the snow made it difficult to see the path. There was always the nervousness that we might fall into the wetland if we did not watch our steps. It was quiet in the wetland, and the loudest sound we could hear was our own footsteps. The crunching sound of stepping on the snow echoed through the air, and every time we stopped, there was silence. In such a wetland, we tried "one minute silence" to find out what kind of sounds we could feel by standing there quietly. I could just feel the cold air on my skin, and felt like almost being swallowed up by the silence. Some members listened to the faint sound of the wind. It was a sensation which is hard to explain in a word, but it is clear that we could never experience it in Tokyo.
“Estonians love nature.” This is the most common word that I heard in Estonia. When I stayed in Tartu, the center of town, I could only understand the term as a concept. However, this hiking experience helped us to understand more about why people love nature and how they feel about it. At the same time, it made me think deeply about whether I know anything about nature in Japan, where most of the land is forested.
Sauna & Life
The smoke-filled sauna hut was located a short distance from the lodge where we stayed. The sound of the flames heard in the silence of the forest made me feel the life of people living in the midst of nature. The nice aroma of wood and the warmth of nature made me feel at ease. The sensation of gradually warming up from the cold outside air was something I had never experienced before in my life. Unlike heating, which warms me from the outside, I felt as if my body was slowly warming up from the core. It was a strange sensation to feel my freezing cold body start to sweat. No one had the courage to dive into the hole in the pond that was dug for us, but we enjoyed ourselves by soaking only their feet in the water or diving into the snow. In the sauna, we spent time talking and getting to know each other. On the way back to the lodge, we enjoyed the starry sky. The area around the lodge, where there are no buildings or streetlights, is dark enough to see Jupiter and Venus, so the stars looked beautiful.
Inside the lodge was warm, and the air was filled with a sense of nostalgia that made me feel at home. Although life in the lodge was not as convenient as in daily life, I still have good memories of the inconveniences. For example, the bathrooms were outside, so we had to go out in the cold, but because of this, we could enjoy a different view every time we looked at the light, the starry sky, and other sights that we could not see unless we went outside. At first, everyone had negative feelings about the bathrooms, but it was not as dirty as we expected. Living in the lodge gave us an opportunity to review the habitual tasks that we usually do without thinking. Living in an environment where there were no TVs, noises from outside, or other obstacles to concentration, I felt that I was able to concentrate on eating, sleeping, and other activities. We also received food and sweets associated with Independence Day. Everyone was involved in making dinner together, and the tasks were naturally divided among those who cut vegetables, those who stir-fried them, and those who mixed them. I felt that the sharing of various emotions throughout the day gradually deepened the team and improved teamwork.
The day spent at the Nature School reminded me of my childhood. Everything I saw and heard was new to me, and I learned about cultures and ways of thinking that I had never known before. I heard many people say, “I've never experienced anything like this before”. As prof.Maruyama talked about the relationship between play and learning, I felt that "fun" and "excitement" are important in learning.
