Embracing Nature...

When We Can't Embrace Each Other

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We humans are social creatures

Even our so-called “anti-social” behaviors, like staying in and getting online, are in search of a connection with others. We also have to acknowledge that humans at their core are still animals – and as animals we are all part of nature and respond to it in various ways.

Study after study shows the connection between our health and access to nature, from such obvious factors as the health effects when we lack access to clean water and fresh air, to those not so obvious factors like the connection between spending time outside and increased focus and concentration.

While social distancing may feel constraining, it also provides a great opportunity to step back and embrace our connection with nature. If we cannot seek out physical connection with other humans, what better place to seek a physical connection than in the woods, the meadows, the ponds and beaches?

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Okay… Well, I want to do something while I’m out here!

We have a plethora of suggestions for that, too.

Start with taking a short walk.

You can pay tribute to, or honor, someone special to you with a gift that will last for generations to come. We will send a card, as appropriate, to convey your appreciation…

Start a nature journal!

Take it on your walk and find somewhere to sit and make observations—maybe there is a rock that faces a creek, or a patch of plants just pushing through the soil. Look around and take note of everything you observe, hear and smell.

Next Level: hone in on a specific item. Perhaps there is a tree that is just getting its spring buds.

What do the buds look like? How quickly do they grow – is it a weekly change, daily, hourly? What sort of insects and animals like this tree? What kind of moss, lichen or fungus is growing on it?

Take an extra-long walk…

And bring your furry pal along! What new places can you find by spending an extra ten minutes walking?

Next Level: challenge yourself to walk further. Pick a distance (maybe you walk half a mile each day) and see if you can go a little further, then a little further.

How does the extra distance feel? Have you discovered a new neighborhood? Maybe a small street you hadn’t seen before, or a cool new spot along your favorite trail?