“The land knows you, even when you are lost” — Robin Wall Kimmerer

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Spending time in nature provides a refuge in which our minds can recover from the stresses of life in the modern world. Wandering through the woods feels good, and when our wandering is done we may feel relaxed and refreshed. We can also learn more about the other lives around us, experiencing fascination and awe.

I lead walks and provide training in several areas you might be interested in, and I would be happy to meet you for any or all of these activities:

Mindfulness in Nature

On mindfulness in nature walks, we spend some time being open to the present experience, taking in all the sights, sounds, and other sensations a place has to offer and letting go of past recollections or future plans. This is “mindfulness,” the practice of being engaged in the present without judging it as good or bad, just noticing what we are experiencing and accepting it with kindness and compassion. In mindfulness practice, when thoughts come to us, we note them, let them go, and return to a focus on the present. Like exposure to nature, mindfulness has a good track record of benefits for health, attention, stress, and mood.

While the walks certainly can be a form of therapy, they can also be beneficial for anyone who enjoys this sort of experience. 

I lead walks from time to time in connection with nature centers or other organizations. We discuss and practice mindfulness in those walks and we may also include topics such as nature journaling. We typically go out in very small groups.

Nature Journaling

Nature journaling is not the same as practicing mindfulness, but the two go together very well. Journaling is an opportunity for us to take what we experienced, reflect on it, and express what we saw, heard, felt, and how that affected us. One of the best ways to do that is to write or draw while we are still immersed in the woods or grasses that we are visiting. Quite often I will sit somewhere for a while and then write about it before I get up and move somewhere else. 

Some people mostly draw or paint, while others mostly write. A mix of both is great. If you think, “I’m not great at writing,” that’s fine! You don’t have to be. If you would like to try journaling, know that your writing (and drawing) will get better the more you do it. 

Drawing and writing will help you attend to and think about your experience more deeply, and that will make your visit richer regardless of how polished your journal entry is. Journaling also helps create a richer memory of the day.

If you come to a journaling event that I am leading, bring a notebook and pen or pencil and create (or add to) a nature journal. Any kind of notebook is OK – don’t get one that’s so fancy that you’re afraid to use it for fear that you’ll “mess it up.” In my sessions I focus mostly on writing, which is what I know best (I don’t teach how to draw but I’ll support and encourage your doing it).

Nature Study

There are so many wonders in nature, millions of species that function in interrelated systems. It’s wonderful that such complexity can work so beautifully, and when we single out any particular species and try to fully appreciate it, we may be amazed.

You don’t have to be a scientist to engage in nature study. Everyday people go birdwatching, go herping (finding reptiles and amphibians), stay up long into the night mothing (seeing what moths and other insects come to a light at night), and study nature in other ways.

The rewards are not just intellectual. Nature study feeds our sense of curiosity and wonder, our appreciation of beauty and our experience of awe. We are struck by how grand the world is, and we have the oddly reassuring understanding that we are only a small part of something much bigger than ourselves. It is easier then to assume our proper role as a member of the community of living things.

I offer training to incoming Master Naturalists in a couple of chapters, covering the identification and natural history of reptiles and amphibians (herps). Periodically, I offer more advanced training in herp natural history. We use the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge as a home base for class meetings and field experiences in several sessions. We cover the characteristics and lives of amphibians and reptiles, including identifying most of our local species. We also discuss ethics and safety in the field as well as the issue of venomous snake bite. Time in the field focuses on where they are found and how to search without harming the habitat. We do not collect during these outings. There is some practice in handling non-venomous snakes and other herps. For more information, contact me.