People told me about the ‘hush’ before I got anywhere near to the island. ‘The place is sooo laid back’, they said. ‘It’s really special. People just sit in cafes, restaurants, bars – wherever – and just stare out over the water. Don’t talk or, if they do, it’s like they’re whispering’. So, it was with somewhat raised expectations that I got out of the bus which had taken us to our accommodation on Koh Lanta, the Thai island with …

The world’s a truly amazing place. This is something that we need to keep reminding ourselves of. Yes there’s a lot of negative stuff and its east to feel disheartened  about various things, including the state of the political process in many countries that had, in the past, shined a light on democracy. But there is also a lot of things happening, randomly, which make us realise that things are much more negotiable especially at a local level.  I’ve worked …

** Please note that I am one of Gore’s Australian Ambassadors (see http://www.gore-tex.com.au/brian-furze/w1/i1094414/).  These boots have been supplied by Gore in the interests of getting my feed-back from my use. It’s great to get the opportunity to review the La Sportiva Primer Low GTX hiking boot. I’ve been fortunate to have had a couple of pairs of La Sportiva’s over the years and I know how good they have been, so being able to test the Primer Low GTX was something …

On 27th December 2016, I came across a small story in The Age – a story which highlighted the pressures on the AAWT, the pressures on national parks and pressures on the landscapes which support them. This was a story of significant change to what a national park has been understood as in Victoria, and more specifically, what Victoria’s Alpine National Park represents. According to the article (which can be read here), Parks Victoria and Regional Development Victoria have proposed …

There are so many good things about qualitative analysis.  Here are five of them. We talk to people. Strange as it may seem, some social research is about numbers rather than people, their ideas, their concerns, their strengths, the challenges they face etc.  People get asked to ‘agree/disagree’ or ‘circle the most appropriate response’. With qualitative analysis you talk, you interact, you learn lots and you meet some great people. We play in the grey. ‘Playing in the grey’ is …

For me, local slow travel is one of the great things I do.  Here’s some of the reasons why I think it’s the best way to travel (in no particular order): Walking, cycling and paddling allows me to travel IN a landscape, not THROUGH one. I get to meet people. I get to learn about their landscapes. I can contribute economically, socially and sometimes even politically at the local level. Knowing more about the ways people live in their landscapes, …

“Trying to answer the question ‘Does the Yeti exist’ is nothing new. To my mind though, this is the wrong question. The bigger and more important question? ‘What if the things that gave rise to the possibilities of its existence no longer exist’?”   “Why isn’t the Mirka here?” I was in a remote valley deep within the Himalayas, discussing my list of locally endangered animals with a group of herders. “They’re difficult to find. But you can if you …

I’m a big beliver in the ways to know something, to really know something, is through observation, talking and reflection. This is as important for my professional practice as it is for my engagements with landscpaes and their people, as it is for my slow travels through landcapes. There are many concepts, ideas and definitions associated with the practice of this emphasis on qualitative understanding. Some are straightforward, some are complex, all are essential to good qualitative analysis in one …

As Spring continues its attempt to arrive, I have really got back my sense of seasons and seasonality. And they speak of different connections with me and this landscape that I call home. I’m reminded of these connections – my space, seasonality and my experience in this landscape – when I bike, walk or run across them. There is an openness, at least for me. I’m running or riding or walking to various locations and various spots on the local map. …

I had a really interesting discussion the other day with a colleague. We were coming back from a longish day in the field when our conversation turned to the ethics and balancing acts which form our professional ethics when working in the community engagement space.  Below are some of the points we thought important: We are dealing in social change – we facilitate alterations to the ways things are done, the ways communities are engaged and part of actions, and …