Reading water

This winter, much of my attention is focused on preparing my TFE walk (Travail de Fin d’Études), a project that blends observation, eco-interpretation, and reflection. Part of that preparation involves learning from others who have mastered the art of noticing nature in subtle ways. One particularly inspiring book is Tristan Gooley’s How to Read Water.

Gooley’s work is a masterclass in observation. He shows how rivers, streams, and ponds communicate through currents, ripples, and reflections — if you know how to look. Reading water isn’t just about identifying physical features; it’s about understanding relationships, predicting patterns, and noticing details that often go unnoticed. Every page reminded me that the natural world speaks in quiet, intricate ways, and that part of guiding is helping others hear what it has to say.

Reading this book has already shaped the TFE walk I’m preparing. The attention Gooley pays to water as a living, dynamic element resonates with my own focus on eco-interpretation and pattern observation. I’m thinking about how to help participants notice flow, movement, and subtle cues along rivers and ponds, and how these observations connect to broader ecological systems. Gooley’s examples also give me ideas for activities and discussion prompts that make the landscape interactive and engaging, without overwhelming participants with information.

Beyond the practical inspiration, How to Read Water has reminded me of the mindset I want to cultivate as a guide: patient, attentive, curious, and ready to learn alongside participants. It reinforces the idea that every walk is an opportunity to practice noticing — and that guiding is a continual process of discovery, reflection, and adaptation.

For anyone interested in exploring the same area in Belgium, my TFE walk — “Au fil de l’eau — à pied et à vélo” — will bring some of these ideas into practice. While public walks will resume in spring, I warmly welcome anyone who wants to explore the site with me this winter, share perspectives, and see how these principles translate into an immersive guided experience.