Take a walk on the wild side of life
A leading climate scientist discovered the healing wonder of watching sunrises when she put travel on pause and embraced the Perthshire countryside.
Vivien Cumming (35) went outside with her high-spec camera at dawn for 36 consecutive days around her home in Glenalmond.
Going out at first light led to a sellout calendar – ‘36 Dawns’ – and now she plans to record ‘36 Wild Swims’ in a similar way.
Vivien, who grew up in Perthshire and studied at Durham and Harvard, had a scientific career which saw her travelling worldwide to document and research the unfolding global climate crisis.
But her far-flung travels were cut short by coronavirus restrictions.
She came back to the Big County in August after finding living in Edinburgh through lockdown ‘stifling’ and the move to Perthshire reconnected her with nature.
“I am a climate scientist,”
Vivien explained. “I have been from the Arctic, to Antarctica, to the Himalayas, documenting the environmental problems facing our planet for the likes of the BBC and National Geographic.
“My main work activities are photojournalism and communication consultancy. I work for scientists, charities and brands promoting their work and helping them get their messages across, mainly about sustainability and climate-related subjects.
“I lived in Edinburgh up until August and being stuck in the city over lockdown one pushed me to move out to the countryside in Perthshire and I’m so glad I did. Suddenly I could get outside into the hills every day.
“I live near Glenalmond and my favourite place to spend time in Perthshire is in the mountains behind Crieff and Comrie, because of the incredible views you get over the Strathearn valley to the south and the Highlands to the north.
“I find myself at peace in nature and in the mountains with a camera in hand.”
Vivien started the ‘36 Dawns’ photography project as a way to understand people’s connections to nature in Perthshire and also to try to inspire people to get outside as much as possible.
“It went from a small personal project to having hundreds of people involved – from icy swims to herding sheep, to running over mountains.
“The result is a huge collection of photos and stories and this calendar is only a small summary with quotes about nature from the people I met.
“Probably the nicest dawn was one of my last ones when I decided to climb Ben Vorlich, last minute.
“I climbed in the dark and got up at sunrise when there was a fresh dusting of snow on the ground and clouds in the valleys below me. It was truly stunning.
“I got involved in a lot of wild swimming during the project and so have decided to do 36 swims for my next project, starting in January.
“I’m interested in the mental health benefits for myself and to meet others who it has benefitted.
“The pandemic has forced me to completely rethink the way I work. I was already well aware that flying around the world to document environmental problems wasn’t sustainable in itself and I was also wanting to settle down in one place.”
The lifestyle change was a big one for someone used to seeing many different parts of the world and communicating with people.
Vivien continued: “Covid-19 just forced this on me much faster than I had expected.
“I’m also used to regular trips away where I meet new people, work in teams and collaborate.
“There is no replacement for human connection, and I think this pandemic has particularly highlighted the need for community and connection to everyone.
“The loneliness brought on by the pandemic and not being able to travel and do my usual work have been particularly challenging for me, but I realised that I could find just as much wonder around my new home in Perthshire as I could around the world.
“The ‘36 Dawns’ project helped me to find my wild side again and I hope for others to be able to find theirs.
“My website is the best place to find info about potential exhibitions or print sales and should others want to do a 36 dawns project, I would love them to share on social media with the hashtag #36Dawns.”