Connecting with Nature

Learning about nature is not always a happy experience. To learn how nature works it is necessary to know it is a balance and there is death as well as life. Nature always finds a way to maintain this balance, although it might not be in a way we would like.

My daughter in law called crying about her bird house that was knocked over by the wind during a storm. The baby birds that it was housing had perished. I recently witnessed a baby wren die in my driveway after what I assume was from flying into something and sustaining an injury that it was not able to recover from. It was so heartbreaking. But in the same week I witnessed the wonder of 2 young hawks flying from their nest, found baby praying mantises while I was mulching, and watched countless other miracles of nature.

I believe these negative aspects of nature make the positives even more wondrous. For each example of sad nature experiences I can think of at least two happy ones. It can be very challenging to refrain from interfering with natures process when we sense it will have a negative outcome. Sometimes assistance can offset some of the human interference already in place such as helping a turtle that is on the side of the road. Other times our “helping out” can have consequences we can’t imagine. An example of this is stopping a predator from catching it’s prey. It may be difficult and go against our instincts to help a creature in need, but realize that the predator has it’s place in nature as well and keeping it from catching it’s prey could result in starvation. Without predators, the prey species would become overpopulated. This would result in devastation of food sources and starvation of the prey species. This is just a very small part of natures process but I hope it helps to paint the bigger picture.

Nature is a delicate balance that when interfered with can have consequences that are not intended. This being said, some simple acts can be helpful in overcoming other forms of human interference. It is important to be aware of this when becoming involved with or enjoying nature. In my experience the happy outweighs the sad and I hope when you become more aware of nature you will see this as well.

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During my stay in Eastern North Carolina I was fortunate to find an area I never knew existed. It is called Green Swamp Nature Preserve. Located in Supply, North Carolina, this area is home to some very unusual plant life. This area’s goal is protect carnivorous plants such as Venus flytrap, sundew, butterwort, bladderwort, and 4 different species of pitcher plant. There are also other trees, shrubs, and plants native to North Carolina that call this swamp home such as long-leaf pines and orchids. Birds and butterflies abound. I found these to be more difficult to identify as I did not have my binoculars

Another great thing about this day was sharing it with my younger brother, Larry. In my opinion, nature is even more wonderful when experienced with family and/or friends. It was a bonding moment and a way to share common interests. It started in the parking lot when we were greeted by a friendly duck. There was a large pond area located next to the parking area. The trail was difficult to follow as there were many off-shoots but watching for the orange triangles became imparitive to prevent us from loosing our way. Another stumbling block was being careful where we walked as to not damage these unique plants since many were very low to the ground. Once we crossed a boardwalk type of trail through part of the swamp we were able to spot what we were hoping to see. It strarted with the Venus flytrap which was low to the ground but was usually easier to spot if you found a patch of moss. Once we new how to spot them we found several patches of the Venus flytraps and pitcher plants. The hardest part was to find where the trail ended but it did appear to be an out and back trail and, like I mentioned earlier, marked with orange triangles. This encounter encouraged my brother and I to learn more about these plants and we definitely are better able to identify these beautiful, rare plants.

The Green Swamp Preserve has great information on there website (listed below) but I couldn’t find where they provided pictures to identify some of these great plants. There is, however, a large display with pictures at the beginning of the walk that may be helpful and I have included another website that has a great picture identification guide.

https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/green-swamp-preserve/?utm_source=www.visitnc.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=downstream

https://ncwildflower.org/plant_galleries/carnivorous_pics

One of the reasons I love to travel is because I get the opportunity to explore the nature that is part of the world I am traveling to. This past week I was visiting family in coastal North Carolina. There are so many areas to enjoy from the beach to the inter coastal to the marsh and everything in between. Travel to unfamiliar natural areas keep me learning new things about the flora and fauna that are native that particular section of the world.

I’ll start with the ocean. I was able to spend a couple hours at Holden Beach with my sister. We love to beach comb and this day was particularly successful I think in part due to the high winds we experienced the evening before and the low tide. While we were scouring the sand for shells we came across several jelly fish (no longer living of course). I believe they were cannonball jellyfish due to there round dome-like shape. I also came across some Northern puffer fish that had washed up which allowed us to examine them pretty closely. Finding different shells also helps to learn more about the ocean life.

As far as the marsh area goes, I will go into that in more detail with my next post. It was a wonderful experience with carnivorous plants. This time I was with my brother and we were able to get some great photos. Stay tuned for the details

The inter coastal area I visited was more like the Shallotte River but it does run into the inter coastal, it follows a tide schedule and is brackish water. On my daily walk to the dock while visiting my dad, I would see some familiar nature and some not so familiar. I would see bluebirds on a daily basis and a couple of woodpeckers chasing each other as well as the Northern cardinals and mockingbirds. Some of the less familiar includes crabs such as the blue crab and others I was not able to identify, as of yet, and pelicans.

Just the feel of the salt air and the sandy soil beneath my feet were a nice change from my familiar natural surroundings. I hope this encourages you to pay attention to some of the nature you witness while traveling. Even just a day trip can launch a new and exciting nature adventure.

I make it a personal goal of mine to show young people how important learning about nature is and how it can add to the quality of their lives. I know some of my son’s fondest memories of his childhood involved camping. He would seek out other kids to hang out with or ride his bike. He even enjoyed camp chores like gathering kindling for the fire, setting up the tent, and, above all else, loved cooking over an open fire. Other activities that we enjoyed as a family at camp included hiking, boating, and playing cards together in the evening. I always tried to incorporate teaching about the trees, plants, and animals during this special time together. Our son is almost 30 now and he still loves to go camping. These days it is with his wife or sometimes together as a family. He has added new activities like using alternate methods to start a fire and other more primitive skills.

Not only are these nature activities a great learning opportunity and a way to build wonderful family memories, it can also be a way for children and teens to experience time with their family in an environment that is lower stress and more positive. This builds a foundation for a family to get to know each other as people and not just “mom”, “dad”, “son”, “daughter”, and so on.

Some of the activities I would recommend include (but are not limited to):

• In the fall gather leaves and make a scrap book. Have your child identify the tree the leaf came from and write a brief description about that tree.
• Nature photography is great for all ages and most people have a cell phone with them at all times to capture a surprise photo opportunity. The more this happens, the more attuned to nature they will become.
• Nature scavenger hunts are a fun and active way to learn about nature. As children look for items on their list to find, they are bound to learn. Examples could include acorn, maple leaf, pine cone, a feather.
• Bird watching is another activity that can be interesting for all ages. This can include identifying birds by sight or by sound.
• Learning more about wildlife by finding out what they eat and what kind of home they live in. An example would be a squirrel. They eat nuts and often raid bird feeders and they have nests in trees made from leaves.

I hope these ideas serve as inspiration to you and encourages you to include your family in your journey to learn more about nature.

Gardens offer a variety of nature experiences concentrated in a small area. Even personal gardens have something to offer. I enjoy walking around in my garden as it brings me a certain feeling of peace that I have trouble finding elsewhere. When the weather is nice I often find butterflies, bees, and other small creatures going about their business. I become excited when I see something new blooming, recently I found a patch of forget me nots growing in a wet area of our yard.

You may also be able to find larger and more formal gardens within a reasonable distance to visit. We are fortunate to have more than one close enough to enjoy on a regular basis. One that we visited recently is Sarah P. Duke Gardens. They always have something new growing there that changes seasonally. There is a pond that is abundant with wildlife including a variety of waterfowl, turtles, and fish. Even though it can get quite busy I can still hear the sounds of nature and smell the scents of the flowers growing there. It was especially uplifting to see the children interacting with nature.

I highly recommend for anyone who is able to visit a local garden, park, or natural area. Sometimes they are closer than you think and you may not even know they exist. You can do an internet search or talk to neighbors to see if they know of any. Local papers may have articles about these hidden gems in your community. Garden centers may even be a good source of information. The costs are usually low or even free in some cases and some areas are handicap accessible. I would do research before going to make sure they allow dogs and to be prepared for parking as well as any costs that may be associated.

Camping season is just around the corner. This year is different for us as we have a new camper we will be learning how to use. Until now we have always used a tent but as we have gotten older it has become a little more important to have a more comfortable sleeping surface and a bathroom close by. I used to make fun of those that would insist on creature comforts when camping and wondered why they wanted to camp in the first place. I have since learned that the goal is to become closer to nature no matter what your circumstances are.

I will be posting our learning experience with the camper on my site so those unfamiliar with camping with or without a camper can learn along with us. Like I have mentioned, we have camped almost every year but without a camper. The learning part for us will be how to hook up the water, electricity, and in some cases sewer. I know there will be circumstances where will need to use a dump station and maybe not all the hook ups will be available. We will also be learning about all the gadgets and the set up of the camper. My husband is already familiar with towing but each trip may bring an unexpected challenge. We have done some homework by reading the owners manual and attending some classes and that may help to get us started but I welcome any additional input.

We also plan on bringing our dogs with us so that will add another layer of complexity to the process. I hope it will also add to the fun and adventure. They both love to go for walks and to mess around in the water so I predict they will have a blast.

In preparation for our upcoming adventure I am stocking the camper with things I believe we will need:

• Bedding
• Cookware and kitchen items
• Flashlights
• Trash bags
• Dish soap
• Rope
• Towels
• First aid kit

Additional items that I will add the day of include:

• Food
• Toiletries
• Dog gear
• Clothing

My next step will be to choose a place to go and to book the dates. I am getting excited just thinking of it. I will provide a more extensive list of necessary items after a trial run to give a better idea for people who have never been camping and may not be aware of what is needed. I will keep you posted and as always please message me with any questions or comments.

I was reminded today that learning about nature can happen in your front yard. Walking today with a friend I noticed in the woods in front of my house a flower that I have never seen before but I thought it might be something I saw in a picture. My suspicions proved correct as I raced indoors to check out my wildflower identification guide. It was indeed a blood root. I took the time to learn about this pretty wildflower and read in a couple of places that the roots were used to make a red dye for various uses.

There are also tiny blue flowers that blanket my front yard called bluets. You won’t find them on lawns that have been treated, This is such a special little wildflower that reminds you it is Spring. Red bud trees and cherry trees are a few more native species to North Carolina that I can see right from my deck.

Why is it important to learn about this seemingly insignificant pieces of nature? It keeps you grounded for one thing. Knowing more about the world you live in makes it easier to understand as well as knowing more about yourself. For me it is also about stress management. If I am focused on the big picture, it keeps small things that stress me out on a day to day basis in perspective. In other words, it helps me to keep the connection I feel with the world around me intact.

If this sounds like something you would like to be more involved in, I would suggest becoming more in tune to the details around you when you are outdoors. You could be walking from your car to a store or a restaurant and notice some flower petals in the parking lot and you look up to find a cherry tree in bloom, or see birds and watch how they interact with each other and look for crumbs outside a bakery. I know I have had some fun watching a couple crows picking up pebbles along the road while on a walk in my neighborhood. These things may seem small but as you become more practiced at it you are able to notice even larger wonders that happen in nature before your very eyes much more often than you realize.

Please feel free to share the experiences you have enjoyed while outdoors and why this is important to you.

One of the best ways to immerse yourself in nature is by walking, biking, or hiking on trails. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel completely at peace when I’m on a hike. Stress just seems to melt away and I come into a positive state of mind. Chances are that if these activities help to lift my spirits, they can have a similar effect on others. I believe that when I immerse myself with identifying the elements of nature around me like the birds, insects, plants, and trees, it keeps me distracted from the things that are stressful and overwhelming. My dream is to introduce this feeling to as many people as I can.

This is a great way to include the family in an activity that gets everyone outside and connected in a non electronic environment. Walking is appropriate for many generations so even grandparents and great-grandparents can participate.

For those who are new to this type of activity, there are a few things you may want to take with you on your walk, hike or bike. I have mentioned before, some good identification guides are useful and can make it a bit more fun. Other things would include water, binoculars, small camera (or phone) to take photos, possibly a snack, and don’t forget a trail map. You may also want something to take notes so that you can start your own trail journal. I like to make note of the date so that I know when to go during certain bloom times.

I have started the process to make this introduction a bit easier. If you have not checked it out yet, I have started the trail section of this site. I will keep adding to the list of trails and I invite others to email me about any trails they have discovered and would like to be included on the trail section.

There are two ways to look at the end of winter. When I lived in the Pennsylvania winter never seemed to end, so I was all too happy to see it go and would plan for what activities I would do when spring finally arrived. Now that I live in the warmer climate of North Carolina, I have a more positive outlook on winter and the unique experiences that it provides.

During my walk today I became more aware of birds nests from last summer which were visible due to the lack of foliage on the trees and shrubs. This also allows for an easier view of birds, squirrel’s nests and other wildlife. This type of viewing is even more pronounced with the addition of snow. After a fresh snow is a great time to look for animal tracks. I don’t often get a chance to experience that now but in Pennsylvania, where there was almost always fresh snow, I remember seeing turkey tracks, deer tracks, bear tracks and on a very rare occasion bobcat tracks.

My point this week is to try to enjoy nature even when the weather isn’t perfect. Pay particular attention to bare trees and shrubs for wildlife and check for tracks in the snow or mud. If you are limited in your activity, know that these advantages are also possible by looking out of a window or even sitting on a porch. Sharing these moments with family or friends makes them even more special and adds to the shared memories with loved ones (yes, that is a Valentines Day reference).

Spring is a very exciting time in the natural world. New life emerging with trees developing leaf buds, early blooming flowers emerging, and of course, mammals bearing new young and birds preparing to lay eggs.

I guess I developed a case of spring fever today when I went for a walk in my neighborhood with a friend. We heard a hawk screeching and birds singing. We saw several bright blue birds, 2 pilated woodpeckers, daffodils blooming, and so many more signs of impending changes of the seasons.

My main point is immersing yourself in nature provides a sense of peace and wellbeing not experienced in any other way. You don’t have to go far or have any expensive equipement to obtain this feeling. Keep your senses attuned and aware to any signs of nature and you can be awarded the same calm relaxing sense of peace.