Forest Words is a project from Idzie Desmarais
A personal exploration of birds and birding, wildlife of all kinds, photography, disability, the outdoors, and climate collapse, rooted in the woods and marshes of southern Quebec. After many years enjoying hiking and fascinated by the natural world in a more casual and intermittent way, in the summer of 2024 I found a depth of interest I hadn't felt in years, a burning desire to discover all I could about the birds around me. This came along with a desire to know the world I inhabit, the ecosystems around me, in a more intimate way, and to learn how to create art out of what I was seeing in the form of photography.
I wrote a blog for many years on the topic of self-directed education, but after slowly moving away from that over the last several years (not out of any change in values or beliefs, simply the desire to shift my focus elsewhere), I found myself missing writing, and feeling like I'd lost something important by not having a regular writing practice anymore. Enter this project, my attempt to explore what I'm most passionate about and driven by these days.
Expect roughly twice monthly personal essays and shared outings, replete with lots of photos, and infused with love, grief, and radical politics. The writing here will always be free, but if you decide to become a paid subscriber you'll help cover hosting costs for this newsletter, allowing me to keep writing and sharing here, along with making my life as a disabled person who can't work a "normal" job a little easier.
A note on language: I refer to birds (and other animals) as "they" instead of either "it" or gendered pronouns, because I figure they're living beings so "it" is not my first choice, and further living beings without anything like a human understanding of gender.
A note on photography: I'm very much an amateur, with so much still to learn, but I'm enjoying (almost) every minute of it. What I share here is mainly taken on my elderly Canon Rebel T3 and Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 lens, though occasionally I'll also share something taken with my phone. Incidentally, any funds earned through this newsletter above hosting costs will go in part to the Getting Idzie a Better Camera fund.
Bio (the slightly more formal, third person kind)
Idzie is a white queer anarcha-feminist who’s happiest outside with a camera in her hands. After many years spent writing about self-directed education and youth liberation, she found fresh passion in the wildlife inhabiting the wild spaces she’s always loved. Idzie is chronically ill, experiencing near constant pain from chronic migraine, and this plus other health issues shape how she moves through the world in indelible ways. When not outside, she spends her time cooking vegan food, reading genre fiction, and hanging out with several cats and one large elderly dog. Though currently in the suburbs, she’s in the midst of an active search for a new home with family in more rural parts of Quebec.