Your neighbor’s grandma? The cashier at the grocery store? Your cousin’s second-grade teacher? Yes. All of them. Even you. I know what you might be thinking, “I live in the city” “I live in the suburbs” “My cubicle doesn’t have windows” “All plants make me sneeze”. I get it. But let me ensure you, you don’t have to live in the wilderness to experience nature.
You don’t even have to leave your home town. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Heck, most of you won’t even have to leave the street you’re living on. Your backyard will suffice. No back yard? No problem. You aren’t excluded from this nature thing. Find a window, or open the door and go for a short walk.
What I am telling you here is that you already have what you need.
All you have to do is open your eyes and ears, and focus on your senses. Nature immersion IS for you. You have everything you need already. Let me make it even clearer: You don’t have to go on vacation, you don’t need to be an elite outdoorsman, you don’t need any fancy gear, and you don’t have to spend a penny. IT IS FREE. Sounds better than that 50% off sale at the mall, right?
So, if you’re with me, and want to begin noticing what is naturally occurring in your local environment, there are a few simple things we need to go over; the senses. Sight, sound, touch, and smell. A fundamental aspect of accessing the natural environment around you is being able to experience it in the present moment, by simply giving attention to sights and sounds around you.
Next time you are outside take a moment to pause, take a breath or two, and take a few moments to notice what is around you. What color are the leaves on the tree? Is the bark smooth or rough? Are there any animals or insects around? You might notice something common such as a robin, crow, squirrel, or earthworm.
Do you feel the cool breeze passing through the shrubs and grasses? Maybe a slight drizzle touches your face and forms droplets on your glasses. You may even notice certain smells bring back memories. Every day we walk past living creatures without noticing. We step over a variety of species of plants growing out of cracks in sidewalks, near our back doors, and on paths in our local parks.
I know at first this may sound too simple to be significant, or to have an impact on your daily life. You may even be thinking something along the lines of, “Yeah right, these nature people are out of their minds!”. But if you’ve made it this far, I urge you to keep reading.
Nature is everywhere, for everyone. Wildlife, plants, precipitation, oxygen, it’s all right here, existing with you, and it can be of great benefit to you. In a world riddled with the stress of everyday modern life, nature is still everywhere, and accessible to everyone.
In fact, studies have shown that just looking out of a window onto a natural scene can help relieves stress. I urge you to take a few moments a day to indulge in bringing awareness to your senses and using them to immerse yourself in your local environment. You may be surprised by what reveals itself to you. Every small organism has a function and a purpose.
Image by Jenna Outwater
Over the next few weeks, we will talk about simple, free ways to become more engaged with your local environment. You will start to notice flora and fauna that has been around you all along! Hey, it’s cheaper than streaming movies online, and you might learn a little and laugh a lot (especially when you kneel in dog poop trying to get a closer look at a flower).
Be sure to subscribe to the Critterfacts newsletter below and check back here each week to find out how you can become immersed in nature from wherever you are! In the meantime, if you want to bring the peaceful sounds of nature into your home or work life check out this publication from the National Audubon Society.
The inspiring conservationist Aldo Leopold notably said, “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a commodity to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
Let’s get outside together!
