Learning to Connect with Nature:

Knowing what can feed you when and where you get lost can mean your survival. Predicting what grows where you will hike helps you know how to lighten your load. Adding wild foods to your menu eases your grocery bills, enlivens your meals, and improves your health.

But if we try to "conquer" Nature, rather than living in harmony with it, we can't win--we are part of Nature and Nature is part of us. Nature is in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the blood we pump, the genes we pass on.

Using our senses more fully helps us appreciate more of what is going on in Nature. An attitude of paying attention multiplies what we learn outdoors. We can learn to tune our senses to the maximum (see the upcoming articles). The more we sense what is happening, the more we can understand, and live in tune with Nature (a.k.a. the environment).

But the more noise we make, the less we hear, in many ways. People who barge through the woods, chattering and stomping, wonder what's the big deal? They miss so much. People who go slowly, quietly, and calmly, in camouflage, with their scent disguised, sense so much more of the complex interaction that is Nature. Slowing down, quieting down, paying attention helps us understand, helps us live in harmony with all life (as the Indians say "all our relations").

So learn about Nature to live more easily within it. Learn How to find the Good Stuff!

Most plants have a preferred set of soil, sunshine, dampness, and companions where they thrive best. Season and habitat are important determinants--see Season/Habitat grid for ideas.

Then go out and have fun!

One of the best ways to get in touch with Nature is to take it into our bodies. Why eat wild food?

© 2002 Robert Saunders