OSP+text+for+Woods+and+waters+book

Copyright © 2023 George Fischer

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without

prior written permission from the photographer, George Fischer.

Foreword: Andrea Prazmowski

Art Director and Designer: Catharine Barker

National Graphics, Toronto, ON Canada

Nimbus Publishing Limited | Tel.: 902 455-4286

3660 Strawberry Hill, Halifax, NS Canada B3K 5A9

Printed in China

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Title: Woods & waters : images to nurture the soul / photography, George Fischer ;

foreword, Andrea Prazmowski.

Other titles: Woods and waters

Names: Fischer, George, 1954- photographer, author.

Identifiers: Canadiana 20220484708 | ISBN 9781774711118 (hardcover)

Subjects: LCSH: Fischer, George, 1954- | LCSH: Forests and forestry—Canada—Pictorial works.

| LCSH: Trees—Canada—Pictorial works. | LCSH: Photography of trees—Canada. | LCSH: Lakes—

Canada—Pictorial works. | LCSH: Canada—Pictorial works. | LCGFT: Illustrated works.

Classification: LCC TR726.T7 F57 2023 | DDC 779/.340971—dc23

&

Images to nurture the soul

PHOTOGRAPHY

GEORGE FISCHER

FOREWORD

ANDREA PRAZMOWSKI

For Nature

herself,

and the friends

that helped me

walk

through

the valley.

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As George guided me to his special place in the

woodlands north of Toronto, his camera and

his photographer’s eye were constantly moving.

Leaning in, stepping back, playing with angles

and the framing of each photo. Every footstep

or turn in the trail seemed to offer him another

image to discover and record on his phone.

the health care system in the midst of the

pandemic. Grief, anger, despair – all loosened

and eased after time with these trees.

When George describes those times and his

feelings about those visits, his voice softens

and his words vibrate with gratitude.

FOREWORD

Eventually we stepped off the trail and arrived

at a place where the trees encircled a small

clearing. George lowered himself to the ground

to sit at the foot of one tree, and stretched

out his long legs, letting them rest on a bed of

yellow autumn leaves. He leaned against the

trunk and tilted his head back, to gaze up into

the almost-bare branches, with the blue sky

beyond. The camera rested in George’s hands.

He grew quiet and exhaled.

It looked to me like a return to home.

And it was.

“When I came

here, I could face

another day. It’s

my sanctuary.”

With his photographer’s eye, George sees

the artistry in any scene, any leaf or blade of

grass. Through his senses, leaning into the

support of the trees and the roots and earth

under his feet, he perceives the gifts of nature.

Through his open and receptive heart, he

receives healing.

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“This is where I sit every time I come

here,” he said.

At first glance, that tree and that spot in the

woods don’t stand out in any remarkable way.

You can wander along kilometres of similar

trails here, past countless trees. What makes

the place special for George is that he didn’t

just walk by. He stopped and sat and returned

again and again. And again. He sought out that

spot when he was struggling with the reality

of his wife’s declining health and grieving her

eventual death, and his mother’s passing and

his sister's too, all in the span of four months

in 2021. And coping with it all while navigating

George’s is not a unique story. In my role as a

Nature & Forest Therapy Guide, people often

eagerly tell me about places and experiences

within nature that have offered them solace,

support and healing. Maybe they’ve never told

anybody else about the deep connection they

feel to a particular tree or a sheltered curve of

shoreline. And it can come as a relief to speak it

out loud and realize they’re not alone.

Many Nature & Forest Therapy Guides come

to this work after a life-changing experience

among the trees – recovering from cancer,

returning from a deep depression, grieving the

loss of a loved one. I can’t imagine how I would

have weathered the breakdown of my

marriage and the stress of the pandemic

without daily visits with the woods and

waters near my home.

Sometimes that support arrives in a

single transformative moment or a flash

of insight. Often that support grows

over time. Through repeated visits the

relationship becomes layered with stories

and memories of personal connections,

and ultimately grows into a sense of

intimacy with a place.

That experience often evokes a deep

sense of gratitude for a place, and a

desire to give back. The giving might be

quiet and personal. Or we might engage

in a project to tend and protect an area.

Or the giving back might emerge in the

form of a beautiful book that sings the

praises of nature and encourages others

to seek out their own special places and

honour the gifts they provide. This is

what George so beautifully offers.

I’ve begun to think of these places as the

places that save us.

We need to talk about these experiences

more. To share our stories and recognize

they are interconnected, just as all life in

the forest is interconnected, and that all

of our lives are interwoven into a single

story of life. That is a way of giving back

too; a way of moving us collectively to

offer more care.

What is the alchemy that supports our

healing in nature? Scores of research

scientists have been exploring that


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You might slow down and notice the images

that seem to call to you, and then bring your

undivided attention there. Or you could visit

with a single photo each day. Or perhaps, like

George in his special place, you’ll return to the

same photos over and over.

The images George has shared can suggest

a new way of looking, when you walk and

wander and visit parks and trails places

nearby. Yes, there are effects he can achieve

with his camera that we can’t necessarily

duplicate. And yet we can practice. Gaze

longer, focus on details. Or release the

tension around your eyes and let your vision

grow soft. Notice patterns and echoes; allow

associations to surface.

Perhaps you might view the photos like

you’re turning the pages of an old family

photo album. Gazing at each one, curious

about the stories there. Seeking out family

resemblances. Seeing the quiet details that

are revealed with careful looking.

As you linger with the photos and the music,

you might notice timeless patterns that

emerge in the blooming and decay of life in

the waters and woods. These patterns are

within us as well, as we too were formed

through the same powers of creation and

follow the same natural laws in our return to

the earth.

Throughout these pages, you’ll see invitations

similar to those offered on a guided Nature &

Forest Therapy walk. These can help you to

explore the images, and your own places and

relationships within nature too.

Before you sit down with Woods & Waters,

you might want to do what we do at the

beginning of a walk, to help bring your

attention to your senses, to the moment, to

the experience. Can you find a quiet place?

Reduce the distractions?

Now find a comfortable posture and close

your eyes. Rest your feet on the ground and

feel how the ground, the earth, supports

you. Notice your breath. Simply follow each

inhale and exhale. Then, over the span of

several minutes, shift your attention to your

sensation of touch. What are you feeling,

on your skin, against your body, under your

fingertips? Then notice what you can hear,

then shift to notice any aromas or scents that

arrive. Then slowly open your eyes and turn

to the book and begin.

When I guide walks I offer a welcome and

introduction before we set out down the trail,

and that is when I speak the most. After that,

I get quieter and say less and less, to allow us

each to listen more closely into the ways that

the wisdom of nature, within and without,

may be speaking.

So, enough words. Time to listen, to see with

new eyes, to discover the gifts of this book

that George has so beautifully co-created

with the woods & waters and other “morethan-human”

beings he has met; a book filled

with tenderness and gratitude.

May you too receive the gifts of nature within

each moment, here for you, awaiting your

attentive presence.

~ Andrea Prazmowski

foresttherapyottawa.ca

We listen in for nature’s wisdom and notice

how our personal stories intertwine with the

stories of the land. I hope this listening and

these reflections help us in becoming good

ancestors to future generations.

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The creation of a thousand

forests is in one acorn.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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dance

with the

play

shadows

in the

sun

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streaming

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Notice the play of light here, there and everywhere.

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The earth

is what we all

have in common.

~ Wendell Berry

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Like a sundial, light and shadows announce

the passing of time. Notice the shadows as

they move through your spaces.

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Do you see a surprise in the reflection?

Wander and notice what new images are being

created in the reflections around you.

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Courage, , my friends;

'tis not too late to build

a better

world.

~ Tommy Douglas

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As I walk with Beauty

As I walk, as I walk,

The universe is walking with me,

In beauty it walks before me,

In beauty it walks behind me,

In beauty it walks below me,

In beauty it walks above me,

Beauty is on every side.

~ Traditional Navajo Prayer

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walk

climb

scramble

skip

stroll

hike

troop

tramp

saunter

meander85 |

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Let us permit nature

to have her way. She

understands her business

better than we do."

~ Michel de Montaigne

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mind

full

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I took a walk

in the

woods and came out

taller than the trees.

~ Henry David Thoreau

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Even in stillness, there is motion. Pause and

notice what’s moving where you are now.

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One touch of nature makes

the whole world

kin.

~ William Shakespeare

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Can you

remember

who you

were,

before the

world told

you who you

should be.

~ Charles Bukowski

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Story lines are everywhere. You can trace them

with your eyes or a finger. Do you notice other

story lines in these pages and around you?

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explore

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I wonder if the snow

loves

the trees and fields, that it

kisses them so

gently?

~ Lewis Carroll

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seek the

quiet sounds

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If you

would know

strength

and

patience,

welcome the

company of

trees.

~ Hal Borland

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“Let’s play,” the woods & waters whisper. Allow

yourself to see and move as a child does, giving

free reign to your curiosity and imagination.

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In the spring, , at the end of the day,

you should smell

like dirt.

~ Margaret Atwood

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reflect reflect

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The light will get through.

Darkness will slowly fade.

Let your soul embrace the warmth,

let nature heal your heart.

Allow time for the divine at work.

Natural bodies dancing with the wind.

Being perfect again.

Letting everything begin.

~ Anamarzu

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Come closer. Look at life from a different

angle. What might you discover?

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See the sun as

it touches and

transforms. How

does the sun touch

and change the space

where you are?

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And into the forest

I go to lose my mind

and find

my soul.

~ John Muir

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If you notice a

sensation rising to stir

your heart, an emotion

or memory – even a

challenging one – can

you simply notice

and gently witness

that feeling? Breathe.

Allow it to be, without

rushing. Flow with your

inhale and exhale.


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livewell

wanderoften

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George Fischer is one of Canada’s most celebrated

landscape photographers. He has produced more

than 70 artistic photographic books and his unique

style is recognized around the world. He has provided

photography and editorial content for promotional

literature published by tourist boards and international

tour operators. George’s work has appeared on the

covers of magazines and newspapers worldwide as

well as websites and ad campaigns for hundreds

of companies. George is also recognized for his

worldwide collection of more than 50 art posters and

unique fine art prints created for various companies,

hospitals and private collectors.

GEORGE FISCHER

PHOTOGRAPHER

In 2022 George worked with the photography class he

sponsors with World ORT in Israel to inspire student

creativity through a contest, including the winners

in his recent publication Israel: Not Black & White. In

November 2017, George received the Ontario Tourism

Award of Excellence in Photography. Among his major

accomplishments is the book, Canada: 150 Panoramas,

which was on the best-seller list at Chapters/Indigo

and quickly sold out of its first printing. In 2007,

Unforgettable Canada was on The Globe and Mail’s

bestseller list and has sold over 75,000 copies. It has

now had a fourth printing. In 2002, the book A Taste

of the Magdalen Islands was a finalist for the Canada

Cuisine Award.

An avid outdoor adventurer, George has hiked Machu

Picchu in Peru and in Bolivia cycled what is dubbed

“the world’s most dangerous road.” He has summited

Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Gokyo Ri in the

Himalayas and Torres del Paine in Chile. In Iceland,

George hiked to raise funds for the Arthritis Society of

Canada. His home is in Toronto, Canada.

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See more at GeorgeFischerPhotography.com

Photo credit: Sue Huh


2023-01-31 6:26 PM

One of Andrea’s earliest memories is of making friends

with the pussywillow tree in her backyard, and she’s

always felt most at home in the shelter of trees and

the embrace of the earth.

After earning a Journalism degree Andrea worked

with environmental groups and in international

development. She then served as a facilitator of

community and spiritual development programs while

focusing on raising her two boys. In 2017 Andrea

returned to her first love – the trees – and became a

Certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide through the

Association of Nature & Forest Therapy (ANFT).

ANDREA PRAZMOWSKI

AUTHOR

She has served as a mentor and trainer with ANFT

and was a founding board member of the Canadian

group that is now Nature and Forest Therapy of

Canada (NFTC). She offers her guiding services under

the name Forest Therapy Ottawa

(www.foresttherapyottawa.ca).

Andrea delights in guiding people in ways to return

to Nature, for our collective wellbeing, to remember

our embeddedness within Nature, and to deepen

our relationships of reciprocity. She has a certificate

in Permaculture Design and as a Reiki Master

Practitioner, serves as a facilitator of a regenerative

practice called The Work That Reconnects, and

co-leads “Wild Spirit” gatherings in the Ottawa area.

She is also a proud graduate of the 2022 cohort of

“Storytelling Beyond Words” at the International

School of Storytelling in the UK.

Andrea lives in Ottawa, within the traditional and

unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabe nation.

She is profoundly grateful for the teachings of the First

Nations people and carries the intention that, in all of

her roles, her work and words honour their teachings

about how to live in right relationship with the morethan-human

world and with Earth, our first Mother.

Photo credit: Jake Morrison, With Flare Photography

255 |


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As with many projects, there is a team that

makes it happen. I would like to gratefully

acknowledge the work and friendship of my

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

assistant Jean Lepage who has been with

me on countless paths. My sincere thanks

to Sue Huh for her ongoing support and

encouragement. To Andrea Prazmowski, my

appreciation for the on-point words and the

easy manner she brought to this enterprise.

Instrumental in pulling it together, I am grateful

to Catharine Barker, talented designer and art

director, who makes my photos a masterpiece

and keeps everything running smoothly.

I cannot finish this book without mentioning

my appreciation of all the hiking trails in

Canada. I have journeyed many wonderful

routes but the Eldred King Woodlands in

Ontario has been my frequent haven for

both work and pleasure (which are often the

same). Exciting and unexpected images wait

to be found.

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