How to Navigate in Nature

Vocabulary/new concepts:

The solar constant measures the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth’s surface from the Sun per square meter per unit time. The value of the solar constant for the Earth’s surface is approximately 81,660 joules per square metre per minute or 8.2 J per 1 cm² of area per 1 minute.

How to find the right direction if we are in an unfamiliar area?

Without a compass and navigational tools, nature can help us, as long as we know how to read its signs.

Since ancient times, people have oriented themselves by the surrounding world – plants, animals, and climate. They served as a compass, map and calendar for our ancestors, helping them to navigate in space, measure time and survive. For example, the routes of the first sailors followed the coastline or birds, which usually fly close to the shore and are a natural clue that there is land nearby. The direction and rhythm of sea and ocean waves, the direction of animal migration in a region, the moss on trees, tree trunks and branches bent by the prevailing wind, the stars and constellations, the paths of ants – these and many other natural objects and phenomena will be useful to us in a critical situation.

One of the most important and reliable natural landmarks is the sun – it always rises in the east and sets in the west. You can even make a sun compass and a sundial with your own tools.

Here’s an idea for a solar compass:

Sundial. Source: https://st.depositphotos.com/1811961/1379/i/600/depositphotos_13799656-stock-photo-the-sundial-in-the-park.jpg

Sundial. Source: https://static4.depositphotos.com/1022670/354/i/600/depositphotos_3545801-stock-photo-sundial-on-sea-sand.jpg

Source: https://st.depositphotos.com/27201292/56357/i/600/depositphotos_563578718-stock-photo-stonehenge-top-ancient-castle.jpg

Stonehenge in England. It has been said, although its true purpose has not yet been proven, that this ancient prehistoric shrine was dedicated to the Sun. The monolithic stones are arranged like a giant clock and are oriented towards the sunrise, with the rays of the rising sun piercing the entrance to Stonehenge during the summer solstice. The monument was probably also used as an ancient calendar to observe solar and lunar changes and to mark the changing of the seasons.

Knowledge of natural landmarks will contribute to developing our survival skills in extreme situations, help us to have a better connection with nature, and make us more observant and creative.

The Sun – a natural landmark and guide

The Sun is not only a source of light and life, it has been and remains one of nature’s most important landmarks. People since ancient times have used it as a reliable compass, a guide in space, a natural calendar, and a navigational tool for travellers, sailors, and hunters.

Thanks to the constancy of the Sun’s movement, people have also oriented themselves to the cyclical nature of the seasons, planning their daily lives and agricultural activities.

Today, even though we use much more accurate modern instruments for orientation, the principles of solar navigation find application in various fields. For example: in architecture when designing buildings for optimal illumination and energy efficiency; in agriculture when planning farming activities, in situations requiring survival skills.

The Sun is an important factor in our lives, which is why many physicists and astronomers study it. Scientific knowledge in this field contributes to the discovery and use of new technologies that improve our daily lives.

The Sun – a natural source of energy

The sun is a giant glowing orb that emits a tremendous amount of light, and light is a type of energy.

Solar energy is very important for life on Earth. It is distributed unevenly over the Earth’s surface. Near the poles, it is spread over a larger area and therefore the surface heats up less there. At the Equator, the heating is stronger because the solar energy is spread over a smaller area.

Processes are continually taking place in the Sun’s core, heating the interior to temperatures estimated at 20 million degrees C. The Sun’s surface is also hot – its temperature is about 6 000°C. Most of the energy from the Sun’s surface is radiated into space, and only a small fraction of it reaches our Earth.

Visible light makes up less than half (48%) of the radiation that reaches us from the Sun. Thermal radiation (infrared radiation) is almost as much (45%). The rest (about 7%) is ultraviolet radiation.

One of the most significant renewable energy sources is the Sun. Its resources are virtually inexhaustible. The attractiveness of this energy source is determined by its accessibility in almost every region of the Earth; by the cleanliness of solar energy conversion – no harmful emissions are released into the atmosphere; and by its wide applicability – in households and industry.

The most common solar energy conversion technologies are:

• photovoltaic panels – provide direct conversion to electricity
• solar collectors – devices for heating a liquid (water or antifreeze solution) by capturing the heat energy of sunlight
• concentrating solar power – mirrors or lenses are used to direct and concentrate reflected sunlight at a central location/point where pressurised steam is generated and drives a turbine to generate electricity

Source: https://st.depositphotos.com/1001686/4981/i/600/depositphotos_49813625-stock-photo-solar-panels-under-sky.jpg

The application of these technologies is best suited to locations with a lot of sunlight and does not involve electricity generation at night. We are therefore faced with the challenge of developing efficient systems for storing the energy thus acquired and stimulating the development of new energy technologies.

Other ways of determining directions and orientating in nature

Navigating nature is a skill that takes knowledge and practice. Using the right tools and following certain rules are also part of being prepared and safe in unfamiliar terrain.

• Natural landmarks

Apart from the Sun, the stars, the moon, the plants, the animals and the topography of an area are invaluable natural landmarks. Here are some examples:

• Moss on trees usually grows and is more pronounced on the north side in our latitudes.

• The tree canopy is more developed on the south side because of the more sunlight they receive from the south.

• The annual rings on the trunk of a felled tree are wider on the south side.

• The characteristic wind direction in an area may suggest the proximity of a body of water or a mountain. For example, if the wind blows mostly from the west, the branches are tilted to the east.

• Rivers usually flow from higher to lower places.

• Rocks with a smoother surface and darker colour are more sunlit than those to the north.

• The slopes of the southern hills are more densely vegetated, the snow melts faster there.

• Polaris always points north.

Source: https://st4.depositphotos.com/1001521/22353/v/600/depositphotos_223534140-stock-illustration-finding-north-star-polaris-night.jpg

• Artificial landmarks

Thanks to people’s curiosity and spirit of exploration, reliable technologies and tools for orientation and navigation have been created.

• The compass is a classic tool for determining the cardinal points of the world – North, South, East and West. The compass needle is always oriented along the line of the Earth’s magnetic field and points to magnetic north.

Source: https://st2.depositphotos.com/1005574/7343/v/600/depositphotos_73438351-stock-illustration-old-compass.jpg

• Maps – the first accurate maps were created in Europe in the 1680s, used mostly by sailors and travellers. The maps were marked with the appropriate conventional signs and symbols to indicate important features of the land surface for a given area – relief, altitude, rivers, bridges, road network, routes, and camping sites. Modern maps are produced using satellite imagery and images taken from satellites in space.

Source: https://st2.depositphotos.com/9897138/50602/i/600/depositphotos_506023926-stock-photo-happy-columbus-day-concept-vintage.jpg

A map is only useful when you can orient it correctly to where you are, and know your starting point and where you want to go.

• GPS navigator for determining the exact location via satellite signals.

• Mobile phones that have built-in GPS and compass as well as navigation apps.

Remember that GPS device batteries, like those of cell phones, must be charged to work and serve you in times of need.

• Safety Tips

• Be prepared – study the route in advance, check the weather forecast, don’t rely on just one means of navigation – secure yourself with different ones.

• Don’t venture out alone, especially in less familiar areas.

• Make sure you are properly equipped – wear comfortable shoes, warm clothing and outerwear, water, food, flashlight, matches/lighter, raincoat, and cell phone.

• Let someone close to you know where you are going, what your planned route is and when you plan to return.

• Follow the marked trails, do not deviate from the established routes, especially if the weather deteriorates – snow, thick fog, blizzard, etc.

• Be alert – pay attention to warning signs, footprints and clues left by wildlife; avoid potentially dangerous areas.

• Look for landmarks and keep calm – remember landmarks you pass through, and recall what sites you saw on your route. If you get lost and there is poor visibility, you don’t have reliable orienteering tools and you panic, there is a good chance that you will move in circles and not find the right direction.

Source: https://st4.depositphotos.com/3101845/27552/i/600/depositphotos_275528364-stock-photo-the-group-of-hikers-walking.jpg