BY LESLIE REGO
Edward Adrian Wilson (1872-1912) was appointed to the British National Antarctic Expedition as vertebrate zoologist and artist. He traveled with Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton on their first expedition, in 1902, returning with sketchbooks filled with images of Antarctic landscapes and wildlife. On Scott’s ill-fated second expedition, Wilson traveled as chief of the scientific staff.
The expedition reached the South Pole on Jan. 17, 1912, only to find that the Norwegian Roald Amundsen had beaten them to the Pole. Scott, Wilson, and the others traveling with Scott, died on their return journey.
Eventually, Wilson’s sketchbooks, along with Scott’s last diaries, were recovered by a search party. As Captain Scott lay dying, he wrote to his wife regarding their son, “Make the boy interested in natural history if you can, it is better than games.” The words were inspired by the art of his good friend, Wilson, who lay dying by his side.
Just as listening to and participating in music engenders love for music, encouraging one to draw and paint the natural world sparks a deep love and nurturing for nature. I look back through my sketchbooks and am moved by my observations, my love for particular trees, trails, and views. Each page seems to be a thank you to the generosity of nature for unbridled moments I have spent within her embrace.
Captain Scott’s last written words were not idle ones. His son, Sir Peter Scott, was schooled in art and natural history and gained a well-deserved reputation as a painter of wildlife, especially birds. Scott established several wildlife organizations. In 1973, he was knighted for his contribution to the conservation of wild animals.
Captain Scott’s words are prophetic. Fortunately, we do not need to be in such dire circumstances as Scott’s party to realize the power of observing and recording the natural world. Living a life connected to nature leads to a profound thanks to Mother Earth, to the winds, the waters, the stars, the moon, the sun, and all of the beings under the sun’s embrace.
Leslie Rego is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, artist and Blaine County resident. To view more of Rego’s art, visit leslierego.com.