Interview: From China to Cape Town

Liling Yan is a PhD candidate at UCT and an avid member of Nature Journaling Cape Town.

🎤What early nature experiences shaped your interest in nature?

I grew up in a rural area of China, on a chicken farm surrounded by crop fields which lead to my fondness for less populated places, as opposed to busy cities. 

🎤What has surprised you about the nature you have discovered in the Cape Town area? 

The diversity: landscapes in the mountains are seas, caves, waterfalls, shipwrecks, blockhouses, batteries, dams, beaches, and beautiful sunsets and sunrises.

The friendliness - on the mountains along the way, people always greet each other with smiles. It's a nice time to take a walk with dogs and see them running happily in nature after being stuck at home for a week. It is relaxing to enjoy the breeze and feel the plants.

Nature provides a free, natural space for socialising and meeting friends. It's nice to travel around Cape Town by following different hiking trails in different areas, with forests, bushes, diverse landscapes, and wild animals.

🎤Have you found a favourite spot to explore?

For biodiversity definitely False Bay Nature Reserve is the perfect place for new birders to see thousands of flamingos, seagulls, ducks, and many other birds.

Newlands Forest Nature Reserve is conveniently located near my home, providing me with easy access to explore the forests and select either easy or hard hiking trails. Many dogs can be seen walking here, and the neighbourhood is quite pleasant. I also learnt about new plant species and animals in this area. By the entrance, I had my very first nature journaling experience. I have learnt to slow down and observe the things that are often overlooked. 

🎤Differences you have noticed between the places you have lived with regards to how nature becomes part of your life.

I grew up in a farm area in rural China where people made the most of the farming land to feed the country's enormous population. Are they natural? They are plants that people planted. Then, since I started school, I moved from a village to a city and to a more modern city. Concrete buildings always surrounded me. We also have trees. and flowers, but there were crops. A teaching position brought me to South Africa in 2018, Cape Town embodies a blend of urban and rural life. We have a large area of greenery, and I also have my backyard for planting chillies.

Vast areas of land in Cape Town remain uncultivated. At first, I didn't see much farming area around Cape Town, and I thought it was a waste of land since if we planted crops, we could feed more people. Now, I realise it is okay only if there are farming districts in South Africa to feed the population.

🎤Have there been any specific nature encounters you have had since moving to Cape Town?

Weekly hiking with friends; each week or place holds unique stories and memories from the trails we walk together. For instance, during our first hike up to the Table Mountain, a friend decided she would never hike again. On the other hand, I find the elevation gained to be insignificant and relish the challenges that come with hiking. It is like a metaphor: through hiking and making choices, we know better about ourselves.

🎤What do you find yourself noticing on a typical day in Cape Town?

The blue sky, white clouds and sunshine. For years, I struggled to see deep blue skies in the cities I resided in on the inland mainland of China due to industrial pollution. I like blue skies and fresh air; who doesn’t?  

🎤How did you start as a nature journaler?

I know about nature journaling from Cati Vawda since she shared a post on Instagram.

I joined the NJ group out of curiosity to learn more about it. Why was it so interesting? But another reason was that I am doing my PhD research regarding hiking and outdoor activities. I look forward to finding new inspirations for my research. 

🎤What do you find yourself recording in your nature journal?

I like to learn about new species and record what I did not know before. I am not a good drawer, but I would like to keep adding something to my notebook.

Drawing outlines of the landscape, including houses, friends, trees, grass, flowers, etc., evokes memories of the moment and what transpired. 

Through deliberate observation, I observe the same species at different stages of life and draw them. Consider the life cycle of a mushroom - they only live for a few days, and I may see a baby mushroom and an adult one at the same place.

I also write down key words that inspire me, such as when we meet up with group members and learnt about colonisation and decolonisation.