Wild Earth Integration

We got snowed on last night, mighty snowed on. I woke up to a blanket of white this morning, but a check on the forecast shows that temperatures are going up quickly and my snow-town is soon to become a slush-town. Gross.

We nature lovers aren’t always lucky enough to have sunny with a light breeze. No, sometimes it’s downright awful out there. “Brace weather” I call it – where you can’t go outside for two minutes without screwing your face up inside your scarf and bracing against the world. Sometimes, you even get those little frozen dripsicles under your nose. Delightful.

How do you enjoy nature when brace weather hits? Here’s five ways to connect with the outside, without the frostbite.

• Suck it up – arm yourself with forty layers and go out anyways! Of course, this one only works when you’ve got the right gear for the chill. We don’t want anyone getting hypothermia here. Some of the best experiences outside happen when you’re caught trudging through knee deep snow. Why? It’s exhilarating. You realize again that you’ve got quad muscles. As soon as you stop trying to hide from the precipitation (why do we think that works?), the feeling of being out getting pummeled by snow is really kind of fantastic. So is the feeling of knocking down icicles (yes, I’m four), rolling down a hill and watching all of the other creatures (or kids) muck about. So the next time you think the weather is blech, maybe try heading outside anyways – you may just surprise yourself. And remember, snow=tracks=awesome animal watching!

• Listen. Sometimes, the worst weather can make the best sounds. Although most animals are quiet during storms, the rain, hail, snow, thunder and wind create some pretty neat symphonies. Turning the television, radios and other techy sounds off and listening to the world outside can help you feel connected, while you’re nice and dry inside (roaring fire optional). Try sitting in the middle of a dark room (ignore how creepy that sounds) and pinpointing all of the sounds you hear outside. This is also a great way to trick get the kids involved in some quiet time.

• Use the bad weather to create something new. The obvious one here is – build a snow fort! I don’t care if you’re 9 or 90, building a snow fort probably never gets old. Other alternatives- snow car, snow dog and snow mermaid. The key here is frequent cocoa breaks. But you can also stay in to use bad weather in this way. If you’re a writer, use the dark day to delve into your work. I find the dark winter mornings are like blinders for my mind, helping me to focus on a writing project at hand. Artists, photographers and other creative types can all learn something from the bad weather because the light and sounds are so different and dynamic.

• When the weather outside is frightful, it might just be the time to enjoy a good book. Thanks to some remarkable authors out there, you can enjoy a little surge of nature in the written word. Thoreau’s Walden is a great read for anyone who fantasizes about packing up and living off the land for awhile (or is perhaps sick of yet another reality show commercial on the tube). Other greats are A Sand County Almanac and anything by David Quammen or Tom Brown. For kids, there are lots of nature related books out there, that can help them plan their next outing. Some of my favourites growing up were Island of the Blue Dolphins (I still want a fort made of whale ribs) and the Beatrix Potter series. What are your faves for you or the kids?

• Have a nature backup plan. Now, this one involves a bit of planning, but trust me – it’s worth it and you and the kids will love it. The key here is to go out before the bad weather hits and collect your favourite bits of nature. Dried leaves, pressed flowers, rocks – anything goes (of course, we like to leave the living things in their homes). Put all your great finds into a memory box or cloth bag of sorts and presto- you’ve got yourself some portable nature to whip out anytime you’re itching to get outside and the weather won’t cooperate. If you’ve got kids, the dreary outside can be a great opportunity to research your latest nature goodies.

So there you have it.  As always, comments are open – let’s hear your thoughts! How do you enjoy nature when bad weather hits?