In my previous Exploring Second Life piece, I visited Lavender Springs, a location tucked away on Heterocera, and designed by some of the talents behind Cerulean Sea (see: Relaxing in Lavender Springs in Second Life). At the time I noted that a return visit to the Cerulean regions on my part would be forthcoming. However – and for reasons I’ve yet to determine – my system / viewer decided to be very unhappy when I did earlier in the week, performance-wise, so I’m shelving that for another visit at a later date.
Instead, and to make up for this, I decided to drop back to Lavender Springs and head west along Atoll Road to visit the TNC Commons, a further part of The Nature Collective no too far away. The work of Teagan Cerulean, Emmerson Skye Cerulean (Emm Evergarden), TNC Commons covers just 8048 sq metres, forming a charming and picturesque corner of Second Life, literally packed with information and places to visit.
The Nature Collective welcomes you to TNC Commons, a blend of urban charm, green space, and forest trails. With exhibits, gardens, and open spaces to gather or reflect, TNC Commons invites you to connect with nature and community.
– TNC Commons description
Again sitting just off the Atoll Road (and thus passed by the local tour pods), the Landing Point for the setting sits back from said road, and alongside the TNC Info centre, where you can – if not already familiar with The Nature Collective and the work of Emm and her friends – discover the secrets of the the Nature Collective and its network of locations and associated locations around the grid.
The Info Centre sits to one side of a cobbled street lined on the other side by little rental apartments. This street is cut through along part of its length by tram tracks – and be careful where you stand on arrival, as the tram is indeed running, and can sneak up behind the unwary as it comes to a halt at the Info Centre!
Jumping onto the tram will take you on a trip around the Commons – which includes a rather novel hop by the tram over the footpath running along the front of the apartment houses 🙂 . This journey offers a pleasant loop around the landscape, and is certainly worth the ride – particularly as it does have a number of station stops at points of interest along the way, allowing you to hop off and explore (you can also explore on foot, obviously).
The far end of the street is home to The Dancing Rabbit Café – a special place for many, and if you know why, you know; if you don’t – please take the information pack from the stone rabbit to the right of the steps leading up to the Café. It is a thoroughly charming corner and, due to its meaning, also has its own Landing Point. Passing around the Café via the little canal to one side or the path between the Café and the neighbouring apartment house on the other will bring visitors to the garden spaces to the rear which includes more outdoor seating for the Café and an event space.
One of the local tram stations is just to the other side of the latter, but for those on foot, steps can be found to the upper parts of the setting – charmingly called The Canopy, due to it being shaded by tall oaks, fir trees and one special tree in particular. Spread throughout this area are places to sit and relax, places to meditate, water features offering space for local wildfowl and critters.
Also to be found throughout is – as noted a wealth of information (including some on the aforementioned particular tree). These information boards allow you to obtain the TNC Connect HUD, offering more on The Nature Collective; information on the secret language of trees (the Wood Wide web); links to external nature-related websites and more; together with opportunities for mindfulness.
A further HUD, the TNC Travelogue, can be obtained at the entrance to the setting from the Atoll Road. It provides SLurls to other locations around the grid associated with The Nature Collective. A sign board alongside the HUD giver also provides direct TP links to those locations.
There are some little quirks to the setting which – to me – add charm. The warning signs for the tram track are placed such that the provide warnings to approaching trams rather than pedestrians, and the track does change gauge to cross a bridge. This is genuinely not to pick holes; in the case of the gauge change, it’s a classic example of making used of different creations to produce a means to add further visual interest to a setting.
In all, a richly engaging visit – as one would expect when it comes to The Nature Collective.
SLurl Details
- TNC Commons (Itame, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 
Thank you for visiting TNC Commons and for a lovely write-up Inara! It’s difficult sometimes to get things to line up perfectly when you’re dealing with obstacles such as mainland height restrictions, etc., and as builders we do the best with what we have sometimes, but it’s why I love the quirkiness of mainland!
I hope to see you back in our little corner of the grid sometime. There’s still more to discover on Mock Heather Road, such as the Le’af Forest Retreat and The Greenwitch Cafe (and a build coming soon from Kriss Lehmann of Botanical). This part of Heterocera is really being revitalized and it’s a great spot for people to just wander and discover.
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Yes, as noted, no critique intended; as someone who has (and does) design regions and parcels, I know the issues of SL quirks only too well. As note, I felt the use of the bridge and the tram’s ability to motor across it was a smile-raising little part of my visit 🙂 . I have previously covered Le’af Forest in my occasional “coffee houses of SL” Exploring pieces; Greenwich is on the list for a future visit, and will likely be paired-off with one or two other coffee houses 🙂 .
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