By Laura Mahan
It’s the dead of winter. My thoughts turn to the year ahead in nature. I have a goal of deepening my connection. It helps to have a list of ideas that I can revisit throughout the year.
Designate a square yard of nature.
One of the most popular books of the last few years is The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature by David George Haskell. Biologist Haskell chronicles the activity and life in his one-square-meter patch of forest nearly every day for a year. You don’t need to be a trained biologist to enjoy this activity. Stake out a spot in your yard or find a place in a nearby natural area. Visit every so often. See what you find and snap a photo with your phone each time so that you can look at the changes that occur.
Record your observations.
Journaling is a wonderful way to feel a connection to nature. Even if it’s just a simple list of things you see. It will open your eyes and tune your mind to the natural world. Try drawing something, even if you’re not artistic. Pick up a leaf from the ground and press it inside of your journal or field guide. Months or even years later, you will remember where you were and what you felt on that day.
Hand lens with stick. Photo by Steve Fields
Visit a favorite habitat.
We are so lucky to live in this beautiful area! Have you discovered a spot with a beautiful view that you love? Perhaps it’s a special forest or plant community. I love to visit high-elevation plant communities that make me feel as though I’ve traveled hundreds of miles away. A favorite plant community of mine is called a beech gap. Usually above 5,000 feet in elevation, this gnarled and stunted forest looks like an elfin fairyland. American Beech trees dominate, with yellow buckeye mixed in over a solid carpet of sedges. This habitat may be short-lived. A non-native scale insect has attacked the trees, which has allowed a fungus to follow. Add to the list—something to learn about.
Share a magnified view with a friend.
A wonderful part of being a nature lover is sharing your discoveries. Try looking at anything through a simple hand lens with 10x magnification. Hold the lens close to your eye and bring the object (a clump of moss, a leaf, a flower) about an inch away. It’s amazing! Find a friend and show them.
Learn (or relearn) a bird song.
Learning birdsongs by ear is not easy. Start small. Learn a bird that you see and hear regularly in your yard, such as the Carolina Wren. Have a goal of learning a couple of other backyard birds. Soon, you’ll have those down pat and you can add a few more each year. Don’t feel bad if you need to refresh your memory often.
Add a new native plant to your landscape and see what visits.
Planting native plants is one of the best things you can do to help nature. Native plants support our native insects which, in turn, feed the birds and other critters.
Just sit quietly somewhere and take it all in.
Enjoy nature!
Laura Mahan is owner of The Compleat Naturalist, located at 2 Brook Street in the Historic Biltmore Village. To learn more, visit CompleatNaturalist.com or call 800.678.5430.
