Life Everywhere

The jungle, as a whole, is an insomniac. It never sleeps, rests or truly dies. Everywhere you look is life, from the tops of the trees to the forest floor, under the soil and into the water of the rivers and lakes. You can be sat there on a fallen tree in the midday heat, not the best of time for viewing anything, and all you need to do is be interested in life no matter the size.

Kick over a rotting branch, look in areas of shade, go down to the waters edge… even during the worst time to see things you’ll be surprised as to what is available to photograph, document or ponder over.

If on a walk you aren’t being given a visual treat by the larger animal species dwelling in the greenery take a look at the greenery itself. Look at leaf shapes, bark textures, plant defenses or the shear size of the huge emergent trees. On the floor are root structures, seed pods and footprints of larger animals. There are smells, the dense foliage doesn’t allow much communication by sight and the use of your nose might pick up the smell of the jungle cats, pigs,the remains of something that has passed away, a tree in fruit (good for finding other animals) or, as I love to do, is to breath in the smell of the moist dense vegetation. There are the noises of animals or birds far above you in the canopy or, again, wildlife using sound as a means of communication, marking territories, warning of enemies or attracting mates. Even the heat and humidity making your clothes saturated can bring out wildlife as butterflies in search of valuable salts and minerals land on your skin to drink.