For pretty much all of my Life, I had a deep running Obsession with Nature. I lived right at the Forest for a good Amount of my Childhood, and there where few Days that were not spent Adventuring Outdoors, at least until I got into Highschool.
And even though that Love had slightly faded through my Teens, it came back even stronger when I was in Canada.
Back then, I had applied for a Job in Algonquin Park, and it was mine within a Day or Two. Life there was different than in the City. There was no Cell Service and pretty much no Internet at all, but it was awesome.
I got to Work out in Nature after all, and there were ,any Things to do. For Example, I learned how to properly operate a Canoe.
Living in a small Village in British Columbia than brought back my Love for the Cold, but right now I have enough of that.
That Love for Nature, although in a mild Form, came back Home to Germany with me. I also learned how to do Photography all over again when I got my first proper Camera back in 2015.
But it would take me a while until I would really appreciate Nature again. That started in 2018, when I visited a few Friends up in Sweden. And it continued with me picking up Hiking in the Harz.
That is a really awesome Hobby, and also a great Form of Exercise, especially when you have to Climb a Mountain or two. I also got madly invested in collecting Stempel for my Wanderpass.
Recently, my Attention shifted from Collecting Stempelstellen to Finding all of the Teiche of the Oberharzer Wasserregal though. Those Paths are generally less crowded, and the Teiche are really beautiful as well.
Sometimes it feels like the Harz is reduced to the more ‘famous’ Areas like the Brocken, Torfhaus and the Oderteich. And while those Places are definitely beautiful, the Area has so much more to offer, like the Teiche for Example.
I also find it really fascinating how the Miners of the old Days used the Water in those Teiche that they had built to Power everything they needed, from Hammers in Ore-Processing to their Fahrkünste that got them deep into their Mines.
All that really is incredibly Interesting to me, and I definitely want to learn more about it.
I also get to see all the Trash Hikers leave behind in Nature. That is always extremely awful to witness.
Animals get sick from eating what we no longer want to carry around, Wildfires get ignited by tossed Bottles, and Forest end up looking more like Dumps, which is not nice at all.
But I also see People having a genuine Interest in Nature. I see People that Care just like I do. There are even some who pick up Trash when they go Hiking instead of leaving it behind. There should be more People like that.
I have said it before, but we need to treat Nature better, together.
For me, Nature is hugely important. It plays a massive Role in my Day to Day Life. Without it, I would be absolutely nothing. Or at least I would not be who I am today.
Right now, I can not wait for warmer Days to come, but I would als be happy if it would not get as hot again. But it probably will. Climate Change really is no Fun, but maybe it is not too late just yet. We have to do better.
And I believe we can, together. For us, and for Nature.
Robin Ho Fotos 