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WAYS TO CONNECT WITH
NATURE
(A list of ideas for stuff you can do)
Escape the artificial rat-race. Find
an interest, passion or hobby in the outdoors, handpicked by you, that can transform and restore your mind, body and spirit.
ADD TO THIS LIST!
Let us know of any unusual or favorite outdoor activities YOU use to connect with nature. I'm updating
something, somewhere, almost every day... hang in there!
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NATURE AWARENESS / NATURE STUDY:
This is first on the list because it is so critical to the foundation of a
meaningful bond with the natural world. It doesn't matter what interest or activity you want to dabble
in; start by studying nature as a whole. Read more about this in "If I Could Hover" in Intangible Necessities.
Donna Long is one of our Pennsylvania neighbors who has an excellent site to ease into the
process of nature study. Visit Connecting With Nature!
HIKING:
Hiking is just walking. However, it could be described
as walking away from civilization and into the wonders of the natural world. Almost everything you do with
nature will require hiking to get you there; even if "there" is the joy of hiking itself. You
will find plenty of information around this site since I enjoy hiking too. I am also a member of KTA & SATC. I'm not a representative, just a member. You may want to consider joining your local hiking club!
Backpacking 101 has great tips for both day-hikers and backpackers. Make yourself familiar with my list of possible hazards anytime you venture outdoors
BIRDING:
Bird watching is highly misunderstood and given a bad wrap. I am a proud member of Appalachian Audubon Society which is my local chapter for the National Audubon Society. Also, birding is very inexpensive to start. For less than $5 bucks you can get a bag of bird seed and borrow a
field guide at the library. (eNature.com has an on-line field guide for free)
Ok if beautiful song birds and
the fascinating facts about them is still to tame for you then try RAPTORS! Ya Ever see an eagle snatch a fawn or
goat right off of the ground?
Start at E-nature or drive over to the Olewine Nature Center (at Wildwood Lake) they have a cushy, indoor, observation deck with field guides and binoculars on the window sills.
The outdoor trails and boardwalks make it easy to spy on the abundant waterfowl populations.
Also, try learning
bird language!
Most birds have a universal system of behavior and five different voices. Tapping into the
secrets of this language can give you amazing abilities to sense other animals before they see you. Some Native Americans and
other experts can distinguish (from several miles away) between humans and different types of animals, what direction
they are moving and approximately how many... just by listening to the birds!
PORCH SITTING: Mike Ruger, of Shermansdale (Perry County), reminds us of one activity that is
very effective at connecting with nature: Porch Sitting. Click here to read about his experience!
Simply pick a place that you can sit and observe nature, at any time
of the day, season after season and enjoy the show. But there is more to it than just pure enjoyment. You will become a part
of nature and learn more than you realize.
Porch
Sitting is a very similar technique that naturalists, trackers, scientists (and every recorded native culture) have used for
centuries. Observing nature in one place, over time, will teach you volumes that no book or professor can. They call it a
"Sit Spot" in wilderness education. Having a Sit Spot is the magic bullet to all nature studies.
ORGANIC GARDENING:
There is nothing more rewarding than enjoying fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables that you grew yourself.
With a little study, you can even grow your own pharmacy. However, I would like to introduce a very interesting twist to this
old past-time. Square-foot gardening! Check out the video on this website to learn more. [Warning: This is a commercial site and I am not endorsing his products...
just the concept!]
Gardening does not have to be back-breaking work. Your kids can even give it a try in some large
pots on the patio! Not having a huge yard is no excuse not to try!
If landscaping is your thing, PLEASE consider "native
gardening" by using plants that are native to Pennsylvania. You'll see more birds and butterflies that way and support
the natural habitat of all living things in PA.
WILD EDIBLES:
Free and nutritious food is everywhere you look. Before you start foraging, please take the time to study the
poisonous plants of PA first! The list is short. This could save your life. Many botanists and other experts are dead (or
wished they were) because of a look-alike or plain oversight. Studying poisonous plants will also make you
an expert at identifying any kind of plant after that. Then it gets easy to follow the field guides to a tasty treat.
Wouldn't it be nice to know that it is impossible to starve in the wilderness?
MEDICINAL PLANTS:
Once you know which plants can kill you and which plants you can eat, wouldn't it be convenient if you could
treat common illnesses with plants? There are many real remedies and cures right in our own back yards and forests. Big pharmaceutical
companies have done an excellent job at scaring and discouraging the public. We have been convinced that we need
to rely on them and pay billions of dollars per year. Be smart about it and follow the advice from botanists
and herbalists to the letter. For more information visit Learning Herbs (These are good folks -- the real deal.)
COLLECTING:
Naturalists and and environmental educators are realizing that we were doing more harm than good by teaching
kids to look and not touch. The famous heroes for conservation formed their close bond with nature by collecting and
touching... and taking. I encourage you to start your own NATURE MUSEUM in your home. Any bookshelf or curio
cabinet can be transformed into a cherished collection. I suggest diversity over (let's say for example) just collecting
rocks. How about skulls, skeletons, pine-cones, nuts & acorns, feathers, abandoned birds nests, bee or wasp nests, fossils,
rocks, etc.?
Give it a try! It's natural art. But please be sensitive to what critters or plants need to be
left undisturbed and in place. Then again, you can use a camera instead!
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY:
You've seen many awesome and cool photos of sunsets, birds, animals, flowers... the list is endless.
With all the advances in technology why not start your own gallery? Let me just say this: Learning how and where to
sit still and quiet is a lot cheaper than buying a $1000 telephoto-lens. Grab a camera and get creative. Then share
them with us in the Nature Connections Sharing Gallery!
CAR CAMPING:
Families with small children or limited experience in the outdoors should give car camping a try. Now I'm not
referring to taking an RV equipped with a TV, air-conditioning, bathroom and kitchen. You might as well rent a hotel room
and watch Animal Planet or (God forbid!) Man Vs. Wild! Car camping is perfect for getting close to the edge of nature and
used as a base-camp for your new experiences.
Please review my article on car camping and consider giving it a chance.
BASIC WILDERNESS SKILLS:
This has nothing to do with militant red-necks playing army. Wilderness skills can include shelter building,
fire-craft, water procurement, foraging and primitive hunting & trapping. Unfortunately some folks just focus
on the glamorous skills instead of mastering the basics. A famous wilderness instructor once commented on how amazed he was
that anybody could make a working bow-drill but few could build a fire in less than five minutes using a match. An
emergency is not a good time to learn or practice these skills. Learning wilderness skills can be a lot of fun and become
a life-saving toolkit that can materialize when you need it most.
ORIENTEERING:
Learning how to expertly read a contour map and properly use a compass is an absolute necessity when enjoying
the outdoors. However, this skill can actually be a hobby within itself. Some folks make a game out of finding hidden
objects or locations. Others take it more seriously and learn celestial navigation and aid-less navigation.
Start with
taking a simple course from the COMPASS DUDE.
GEOCACHING:
This is sort of like a high-tech treasure hunt using a GPS device. The buried treasure usually can be
anything from a small trinket to big prizes. The pirate stashes his booty and then publishes the coordinates on the Internet.
Great for getting electronic buffs into the wilderness. Bad if they don't have a respect for "Leave No Trace" ethics. For more information visit geocaching.com
STAR GAZING:
Star gazing and Astronomy can come in many forms. Laying on a rooftop with a parent or best friend
and staring into the night sky can be a magical life-time memory. Star gazing makes the universe seem big and reminds
us how small we are. It awakens our spiritual sense of awe and wonder... of something bigger than ourselves.
The stars provoke deep thought and contemplation.
Getting to know the stars and constellations can be a fun hobby. Learning
to use those celestial bodies for navigation or orientation is a useful skill. The heavens can also put you in
tune with the seasons, tides and cycles of life that are all interconnected.
Adding the use of a telescope can
open up more paths to discovery and wonder. Many famous explorers, scientists, astronauts, writers and artists were
inspired by backyard astronomy.
Take a short drive over to our local observatory near Lewisberry. Visit the Astronomical Society of Harrisburg for more information.
CONSERVATION:
Changing our personal day-to-day habits can change the world. Greener-living is no joke. Make small and simple choices
around your home.
As a member of the Sierra Club, and other similar organizations, I can also do my small part to ensure the future of our natural resources. Like most
folks, I laughed at the "tree-huggers" and "bleeding hearts" while taking our forests, wildlife and
watersheds for granted. I always assumed "big-brother" would step in if things got real bad. In my mind,
the National Parks and Forests and private lands were endless, doing fine and under control. I believed that the
nut-case-fanatics were just crying wolf.
Then I met nature up-close and personal. Empathy, sorrow and outrage replaced
my cultural ignorance. I realized that things got real bad a LONG time ago and are getting worse at an alarming rate.
Big-brother is "on the take" and looking the other way so greed and pragmatism can rob us of our very source of
life -- nature (clean air, water and food). Get involved - meet nature and learn the facts. You will
be horrified to see what mass-ignorance, apathy and a little cash can do to destroy our natural treasures in
a flash... forever.
It is hip, trendy and good-business for pop-stars on MTV to scream "Save the rain forests
and polar bears!" -- a fair start if it is sincere. However, let's not forget the endangered species and
systems in our own backyards where we can do something about it now. How many of us are even aware there is
a problem at home? Visit the PA Forest Coalition and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation... then see what's happening right under our noses today. Give a stronger voice and support to the honest
politicians who "get-it" and are fighting for our natural resources. Bug the livin' crap out of those who
bend-over in the name of progre$$.
VOLUNTEERING:
Many of us use trails, parks or nature centers for noble purposes without ever considering the work that goes
into them. Many volunteers made this all possible. Giving of your time is more fun and rewarding that you may first expect.
You meet lots of fine folks and make solid friendships. In many ways, it feels like getting a backstage pass to some
awesome shows and meeting the stars. Donations and funds are important, but giving of yourself and your time can go
a long way. Zoos, sanctuaries and nature centers are not the only folks that can use your help. Join one
of our local organizations that is interested in what interests you. Volunteer and begin an adventure. As
I sit here typing, you should feel the wave of guilt flowing over my head. I need to take my own advice more frequently!!
Go ahead and chuckle.
FISHING:
There's an old saying: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. But teach a man to fish and he'll
move to Pennsylvania"... OK maybe that's not the saying. Central PA is hooked on fishing, that's for
sure.
There are many opportunities for fishermen to take the lead in conservation and protecting our waterways and water
supplies. WE ALL LIVE DOWNSTREAM. Visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for ideas on how to ensure the survival of our watershed, water-sports and all resources. The life from water begins
on top of the Appalachian Mountains, moves through you and me, and then flows to the ocean.
The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission is there to serve the fishermen of today and tomorrow.
HUNTING:
Hunting is BIG in Central PA. An ancient necessity is now a popular sport. Modern-style-hunting is deeply rooted
in our local culture -- a rite of passage for many youth and a family bonding activity.
Many PA hunters ruin the
name of hunting. Just take a walk in the woods after any season closes. Responsible hunters can speak-up and inspire
a cultural shift in attitudes. Protect the image of PA Hunters.
It is not about the gadgets, gear, guns
and beer.
Take the time to connect with nature and visit the woods when your not hunting. Just a little
knowledge about trees, plants, ecosystems and conservation will deepen your experience and enrich the sport you love.
Adopt a "Leave No Trace" ethic.
Then visit the PA Game Commision and enjoy a tradition.
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How about a little more adventure?
BACKPACKING:
Backpacking is just hiking with an overnight stay (or longer). For some, this is where the joy of hiking becomes
an epic adventure! Weather you plan to just day-hike or stay out for days at a time; please visit BACKPACKING 101 for some great tips from yours truly! I have it divided into three sections: Random Tips, Your Home in a Pack, and Your Campsite.
Don't just visit -- Live it!
HAMMOCK
HANGIN':
So you love backpacking? Wouldn't it be nice to set up camp anywhere.
Jagged rocks, steep cliffs, swamps, creeks... nothing can stop a "hanger". Hangers take to the trees and still stay
dry and bug-free just like us ground dwellers in our tents. I'm begining to experiment with this and "so-far-so-good".
Take a look into the world of hammock hanging by visiting Hammock Forums.
PULK PULLING OR SLEDGING:
A sledge is sort of like a combination of a small boat and a sled. Borge Ousland crossed the North Pole from Russia to Canada with one... ALONE! They are used where there is nothing but snow or ice and
the occasional body of water. Many other expeditions to the North and South Poles used sledges to move their stuff over
the harsh environments. Sometimes they were outfitted with sails and caught a free ride (even on snow)!
A Pulk is a small sledge. You can't always ride them across water, but you can carry a heavier load to stay warm
and comfortable with. This allows some folks to carry wood stoves with fiberglass tents and maybe even some extra fuel.
Extremely low temperatures require more clothing, food and gear to stay warm. Around here, in PA, they can still be nice
to have when snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
TRACKING:
Bring the zoo to you! There is a whole lot more to tracking than we learned from the movies.
It is not just about footprints. There are all kinds of sign that tell a story about beings when they disturb their
surroundings... no matter how subtle. The six arts of tracking answer who, what, when, where, why and how.
A tracker has to be a naturalist and develop skills of invisibility. Very mysterious, yet very easy to learn with dedicated
persistence.
My hero is Tom Brown. His biography, THE TRACKER, is a page-turner. Tom Brown, Jr's Tracker School is just a couple of hours away in New Jersey. Check out his website for more information.
BUSHCRAFT:
Bushcraft is a higher level of communing with nature. It combines the skills of a naturalist, tracker, herbalist,
forager, tanner and many other primitive specialists. Some folks get dropped into the wilderness without clothes or
even a knife and live comfortably for weeks or months at a time. This activity will awaken every facet of your unused brain.
Most of us get by with using only a small percentage of our brain functions. There are ancient "chambers"
just waiting to be activated!
Loose your mind and come to your senses!
SPELUNKING:
Central Pennsylvania is filled with thousands of caves throughout the region. Most are not mapped or even "officially"
discovered yet. When I was a kid, the discovery of a local cave sent out a wave of excitement through the kid community.
The expeditions launched immediately. Many clandestine locations are kept secret -- Either by those who prize their "other-worldly
territory" or by those who know just how dangerous caves can be. Some of these are rumored to rival Indian Echo Caverns and Chrystal Cave in size.
So, speak up Spelunkers of Pennsylvania! I know you're out there. I just haven't
found your sites yet. Introduce your neighbors to your organization. This amazing adventure into the heart of the earth
should be safe and lead by trained folks; not a few neighborhood kids with flashlights and kite string.
KAYAKING:
Places to use kayaks and canoes
can be found all over our area. Kayaks are not just for jocks either! Sure, the white-water competitions are fun to watch
but they're not a good way to connect with nature.
Becoming a part of the flowing system allows you to
bond with nature with a different perspective. As with hiking, this mode of transport can take you deep into the wild
places --but you don't have to carry a heavy pack up the mountainside.
Everyone should take a safety
course. Anybody can use a kayak. Kayaks and canoes also allow people with certain physical challenges to cover great distances
and enjoy breathtaking views. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission has an excellent Water Trail Guide and other useful information.
My suggestion: Rent before you buy. There are good outfitters along our major rivers.
SNORKELING:
People seem to think
that snorkeling is just for the beach, in the ocean. Try snorkeling in our local creeks, ponds, lakes and rivers.
You will be amazed at what you will experience, learn, find and see! This is also a good way for fishermen to learn
a few tricks too. I've collected some free lures and other items that were lost by others. You can too!
Now kick it up a notch and become SCUBA certified! I dove the South Pacific, but never here in PA. If you
have -- contact me with your story so you can share your personal experience with our neighbors.
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PACK ANIMALS:
Llamas love rough terrain and don't mind carrying your stuff. What great hiking partners! Meet Lewis and
Clark (my neighbors) and their Friend John Jerphey.
THROUGH-HIKE THE BIG TRAILS:
Through-hiking is the ultimate goal for some folks. You may not get quality time with
nature with such a pressing schedule, but the quantity makes up for the hurried pace.
Several major trails pass
through Pennsylvania or are entirely within our state.
The most famous one is the, 2,178 mile, Appalachian Trail. The, 4,600 mile, North Country Trail cuts through a northwestern portion. The 504 kilometer Mid State Trail is the first trail in the United States to be metric and is part of the Great Eastern Trail System. The Standing Stone Trail is well-known in our area. The, 140 mile, Horseshoe Trail allows for hikers & equestrian travelers, from Harrisburg to Philadelphia.
To find the other bazillion trails in
PA visit PA Hikes or KTA.
ROCK CLIMBING:
There's more than one way to climb rocks. There are endless combinations of conditions and ways to conquer
them. Free-style, rappelling, bouldering, using rope with cool gadgets, ... the possibilities go on and on.
Local climbing walls that you find in the gyms are a great learning tool but a poor substitute for reality. But
indoor, artificial-sports are for weenies! Take lessons from the pros and then GET OUTSIDE for the real thing. There
are plenty of climbing clubs right here in Central PA.
ICE CLIMBING:
Replace rock with slippery, unstable and unpredictable ice and try climbing that!
MOUNTAINEERING:
Take climbing to the ultimate test! Traverse woodlands, alpine regions, rock, ice and snow while dealing with the
lack of oxygen, unrelenting winds and freezing temperatures. Sounds harsh because it is.
But nothing can compare
to the view from the top and the unexplainable sense of being alive!
Sir Edmund Hilary said, "It is not the
mountains that we conquere... but ourselves!"
HOW ABOUT A CAREER? WHY NOT LIVE
A DREAM?
| I wish I knew about this back in high school |
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Let's pull the plug on TV and excuses -- Get out there and LIVE!
DCNR is on your side! Our neighbors who work for PA DCNR are just like us and love Pennsylvania Outdoors. They work
hard to save our natural resources and wildlife.
Be sure and visit Get Outdoors PA! Show your support!
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