Wild Earth Integration

…If you don’t slow down.

The holidays are fast approaching and many of us are knee-deep in the busy season already. Sure, it’s the most wonderful time of the year *here you go* – but it can also be one of the most rushed. The perfect antidote to all of this madness? A little time in nature.

During any season, it can be pretty easy to fly through the outdoors. But don’t fall prey to the urge to speed through. If you’re rushing, you’re probably zoning out. Bad explorer!  Nobody knows about the importance of slowing down like a good animal tracker. In fact, some of the best trackers out there say that in order to truly see the world around you, you must walk at a speed that’s 1/4 your normal walking speed.

Think about that.

I know that if we were all to wander around at 1/4th our pace everyday, things would get pretty hairy. Holiday shopping would be even worse, wouldn’t it? But nature, like many great things, is all in the details.

For our expedition today, I took the 1/4 pace challenge in my backyard. Within 50 feet of my house, I was amazed at what I found.

My friends, I give you 5 things you will surely miss if you don’t slow down out there:

• Unexpected Buddies
  

That’s right – what expedition around my house would be complete without a little evidence of Gerry. And introducing today – Gerry’s nemesis! One of the easiest ways to see animal tracks is to get down low – reeeaal low, with your head close to the ground. People typically don’t notice the ground in front of them when they’re rushing, so unexpected friends like this are often missed!

• Tiny Shots of Festive Color

Ironically enough, it’s in a gray, wintery world that most color tends to stand out. But our human brains don’t quite catch on. When we see a lot of something in front of us (like snow for example), our mind wants us to think that it’s all uniform. Sort of like a white noise on a television set, our brain decides ‘there’s nothing there’. But you can show your brain who’s boss by slowing down and focusing – you might be amazed at what is right in front of you.

• Things That Hang On

Have you ever really looked at climbing vines? Many of them have small suckers, a lot like a gecko’s foot. These suckers latch onto trees, fences and whatever else they can find. Even though they dry out in winter, these suckers are still hangin’ on.

• Things That Let Go

If there’s one lesson that trees can teach you, it’s that sometimes you just gotta let go. Every fall, trees (at least ones with leaves like these) draw in all their nutrients to their core. This is why leaves turn such gorgeous colors, they’re losing nutrients to the trunk. In winter, the tree is in 100% self preservation mode, so the leaves let go.

• Things That Don’t Follow the Crowd

If that’s not a poster for perseverance, I don’t know what is.

I wonder what you’d see if you took the 1/4 pace challenge? Let’s hear your tales!

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?

We all have our secrets. Today, I thought I’d introduce you to one of mine.

This is Gerry. Say hi to him!

Gerry is an Eastern Gray Squirrel that has been inspiring me for months. Everyday, he comes around to the patio outside of my office (lucky writer, I know) and eats binges on the seeds that I have so graciously tossed out for the wildlife. Of course, Gerry has grown to be a pretty hefty squirrel (in fact he probably weighs about as much as a cat at this point), so the birds have to get up pretty early to get the jump on him!

As a busy writer/illustrator/educator/aspiring nature superhero, life can get pretty hectic. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget about the simple things – the reasons why we do what we do. For me, animals, nature and science are my thing. My shtick. Having Gerry (and his assorted friends) around outside the door is a great reminder of why it is that I do what I do. I know many of you reading are also nature superheros, so Gerry is a reminder to you too. But I digress.

So, my top 3 favorite things about squirrels? Glad you asked.

#3 – They have no thumbs. Yep, they accomplish all of their squirrel-tastic tasks without any thumbs. If I had no thumbs, my writingwouldprobablylooklikethis. But this guy climbs trees, scares off cats (I’ve seen him do it!) and otherwise kicks squirrel booty without so much as an opposable digit. Fantastic.

#2 -They stand up for what they believe in, and when needed, yell at you. We’ve all been minding our own business, walking under a tree, when suddenly we hear it. Grinding chitter-chatter coming from above our heads. Alas, it is Gerry (or one of his relatives) reaming us out for daring to walk under his tree. Forget the fact that we outweigh Gerry a hundred-fold and that he’s got no thumbs. Nope, squirrels stick up for themselves. No matter how big (or human) their foes are.

#1 – That crazy tail-bopping thing they do. If you’ve spent any time with squirrels (why wouldn’t you, really?) – you know what I’m talking about. They’ll hop and scamper along, with their tails bopping up and down in weird, jumbly rhythms. I’m convinced that there is some sort of behavioral/evolutionary reason for all of this bopping, but I have yet to devise a scheme experiment to figure it out. Is it a signal of some kind? Reflective of their physiology? Only Gerry knows.

And now my friends, I leave you with a picture of Gerry – decked out 300 style. You know, the movie about the Persians and the battle for Thermopylae? He is a squirrel to be reckoned with. Epic, no?

I’d love to hear your own backyard wildlife stories – feel free to introduce us in the comments!