Topophilia is a strong sense of place, which often becomes mixed with the sense of cultural identity among certain people and a love of certain aspects of such a place.

I have traveled all over this amazing province in my twenty five year photography career. There are many places in our beautifully diverse province that I love.

One of them is Riverhurst, Saskatchewan where my grandparents lived. My mother grew up there. In the summer we would spend weeks there, taking swimming lessons at Palliser Park Pool and frolicking at the beaches on Diefenbakker Lake.

My second favourite place is Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. I was introduced to Cypress by a group of photography friends. They ran a photography workshop there for many years. I attended many of these workshops as a volunteer. I was a gopher, driver, instructor, whatever was needed. It is a fascinating lodgepole pine forest in Southwest Saskatchewan. With its mix of forests, wetlands and grasslands, it is home to an astonishing diversity of plants and animals. In the soft mossy undergrowth of the forest, you can find a multitude of photographic treasures. Amongst the pine needles and foliage there are deer, elk, lichen, mushrooms, just to name a few. In the spring the grasslands and meadows are thick with wildflowers. The park has a small lake for canoeing and kayaking and many birds species can be found here.

I fell in love with Cypress Hills.  I have returned many times to camp with my husband and our girls. It is a place of solitude and relaxation for me. I enjoy the peace of photographing in the pines. It really is an amazing part of Saskatchewan to which I feel a strong sense of place. 

I encourage you to get out in our great big world and find your topophilia.

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