Unlike many academic papers I have read and analysed to form the foundation for my work, recently I have looked to other sources of secondary information to help formulate new ideas and takes on how nature can be effectively introduced to hospitality settings.
Barnes, S. (2018) Rewild Yourself, Simon and Schuster, London.
Consequently, I have been reading ‘Rewild Yourself’ by Simon Barnes. This book isn’t to do with bringing nature into spaces at all, rather it is centred around people taking themselves to the outdoors to interact with nature. Resultantly, I found reading the text a very interesting experience to get my creative juices to flow in following the suggested ideas to ‘rewild’. I have found myself critically analysing and adapting these suggested methods of rewilding to discover how they can be utilised within the context of my work. This has led me to revert many of the ideas and working backwards with them to try and invent new ideas or ways in which similar forms of interacting with nature could be introduced into hospitality settings.
For instance, a suggestion to invest and utilise a good pair of waterproof trousers may seem meaningless in regards to my work. However, the book goes on the explore the new world and environment a pair of waterproof trousers helps you to unlock. Whether this be seeing new species that you would have otherwise missed as you wouldn’t have wanted to immersive yourself in the wet environment, or simply exploring the scenery and woodlands in adverse climates. The point being that the trousers offer a gateway to experience different environments. A similar concept can be applied into an event or experience in hospitality, with a. little thinking and reworking. An expel of this is that an event or experience could be centred around different weathers or climates and in each experience of the climate the customer is able to experience different aspects of nature. Some apparatus could be used as a gateway for each environment, whether this be through ordering a different dish (each pertaining to a new environment) or even in a bar setting thing could be done through different drinks; or even simply in the setting of the restaurants different areas could be presented to explore different nature weathers or environments. Even technology could be utilised to formulate this idea into a technobiophilic experience. These ideas are currently just that, ideas, but read this book has allowed for fresh perspectives to be taken on seemingly obvious parts of natural experiences.
Below I have included notes of aspects of nature I wish to explore further after reading this book. I will go on to develop these ideas further and look at the feasibility of them as I look to planning my next interventions, specifically my next intervention at the Chelsea College of Arts.
- Weather
- Experiencing different weathers/ climates as a part of a natural experience
- Rain – sound and smell?
- Heat – step off the plane heat smell? Sounds of crickets/ birds?
- Just like the weatherproof trousers, I’m aiming to break down the barriers between inside and outside
- Breaking down the self-imposed barriers to nature
- Experiencing different weathers/ climates as a part of a natural experience
- Consider wildlife/ animals not just plants
- Create immersive habitats? – focus them on different species? – creating an elongated meaningful connection to nature through the transfer of knowledge that customers can take into their daily lives, for instance, the names of basic species such as butterflies which they can then identify when seeing them around in their daily lives, consequently allowing them to feel closer to nature even after leaving the event/ experiences.
- ‘Open yourself up to the wild’
- Viewing the ocean as a new and mythical world
- Lose yourself in a new natural world – replicate unusual/ unique aspects of the ocean that aren’t commonly known
- Strengthen connection potentially from the transfer of knowledge about the ocean – people may wish to pursue this information further and explore and learn more about the ocean.
- Utilise idea of coral reefs – unpack and showcase their environment in an event
- Aquascope/ bathyscaphe allows you to view the ocean like a snorkel but without getting wet.
- Lose yourself in a new natural world – replicate unusual/ unique aspects of the ocean that aren’t commonly known
- Rivers?
- People sat in different spaces like different tributaries (could also be like branches of a tree) – different tributaries would equate to a different natural experience, customers could more through the different tributaries throughout the experience.
- Could be replicated for a wine tasting? – different drink for each tributary? Or a different food dish?
- People sat in different spaces like different tributaries (could also be like branches of a tree) – different tributaries would equate to a different natural experience, customers could more through the different tributaries throughout the experience.
- Nocturnal animals – could be referenced in evening experiences or events?
- Bats – sonar sounds for communication in any way to play on this?
- Utilise sonar tech in an event? – play on bats abilities to feel at home during the dark?
- There are devices you can get to convert bat’s ultrasounds into humanly audible sounds – could utilise something similar?
- Bat detectors, set to around 45khz
- Bats – sonar sounds for communication in any way to play on this?
- Stillness to take in wild ecosystem forms around you
- Could be introduced in some form for a supper club type event, as everyone sits down for dinner and are silent, the projectors/ sounds/ smells of nature and wildlife begin to appear, as if you are sitting still in the natural habitat. This could set the tone for the rest of the natural experience.
- Rainforest – most diverse ecosystem
- Reveal what’s in the canopy/ around you that may be hard to see.
- Explore the masses of wildlife in the canopy of the rainforest, unpack it and utilise different species in experiences
- Reveal what’s in the canopy/ around you that may be hard to see.
- Hares/ Rabbits
- Future idea that could be aimed at spring?
- Dragonflies/ ladybirds/ butterflies – the invertebrate world of the small, bringing them into the human eye and world of the big rather than being overlooked.
- Hummingbirds/ woodpeckers – represent bringing rare and interesting species inspiration into events that will attract people as it is uncommon for humans to encounter them. So, an event aimed to replicate interactions with racer species could bring the rare into the normal?
- Bees
- Replicate or take inspiration from the process of pollinating?
- Create a change in the taste of food before and after ‘pollination’
- Replicate or take inspiration from the process of pollinating?
Reflection
I have really enjoyed reading this book and it has allowed me to re-evaluate my ideas and perceptions of what nature truly is. I feel it has helped me to consider new forms of nature and ways to introduce these parts of nature into the hospitality settings, allowing for connections with the customer to be formed.
Following the line of thinking reading this book has started, another idea I have been recently thinking about red Hibiscus, which is a flower that is commonly associated with summer. But, with Christmas and winter coming up I have thought of potentially utilising this flower as a theme for a natural event or experience framed towards winter. This would create a juxtaposition between winter and summer and allow for a mixture of seasons to be brought into one space, for an innovative natural experience.