As most of you are aware, being in nature is vital to our emotional, physical, and mental health.
Being in nature has been shown to reduce blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. During this time of anxiety and change in our routines, it is crucial to maintain our connection with nature.
Even with social distancing, there are many ways to bring nature into our day. Here are some suggestions:
Find your sit spot. What is a sit spot? It’s your spot to sit in nature that you come back to regularly–maybe every day, maybe every week–for calm reflection and an opportunity to see changes in nature over time on a small scale. Here are some great articles about the value of a sit spot and how to make your own:
- Complete Guide To Using A Sit Spot In Nature
- Start a “Sit Spot” practice to a happier you
- The 5 Qualities Of A Perfect Sit Spot
This is a great time to listen to the birds! Some are returning from their winter homes, some were here all winter, and all of them are singing to each other a lot now. What are they saying with their songs? Among other things, they are communicating: This is my territory, there’s some delicious food here, danger, let’s make babies. Great times to listen are early morning and late evening. There are many apps that can make this more fun:
- Merlin Bird ID helps identify birds that you’re seeing
- Song Bird ID USA helps identify birds that you may not be able to see but can hear
Go for a walk. Although I think that it’s always a great day for a walk–I’m happy to walk in the rain, snow, cold, or heat–I think that everybody would agree that spring is a great time for a walk. What signs of spring can you find on your walk? There are many fun spring scavenger hunts you can bring along. Here’s one to try. You can look for more scavenger hunt sheets online or create your own. Have fun in your backyard or head to a trail. Just make sure to give people space (i.e., social distance) on the trail.
In good health and nature,
Jocelyn
Jocelyn Kleinman
Director of Education