Getting to Know (our) Nature
Noticing, Wondering, Relating & Learning
In the creative companionship with (our) nature, once we’ve become present to ourselves, our presence becomes wonderfully available to the world around us. To that end, here’s some thoughts on getting to know (our) nature:
Meaningful First Impressions:
Nature-nerds all over the world use these 3 simple sentence-starters to generate meaningful first impressions (Listen to John Muir Laws talk about it here)
I Notice (Objectively):
What do you notice about:
the senses: sight, smell, feel, sound, (safely) taste
color, shape, size, patterns, contrasts
activity and behavior
location
the weather
number/quantity (estimate if needed)
how it might seem unique or different from others like it
remember to always note the time of day and season
I Wonder:
What questions arise from your observations?
In this wondering, there’s two levels that we can wonder on:
The individual level: on the individual level, there’s so much variance. Every individual has a unique life story that makes it who it is. Unique circumstances within different times and places create special combinations of qualities within individuals, and special relationships to the world around them. This is true for everything in the ecosystem.
The collective (ecological) level: on the collective level, there are patterns of growth, resilience, and relationship between species that can be found everywhere. When we understand these collective patterns, it helps us to better understand the forces that influence individuals within their unique stories. This can be considered an ecological understanding.
→ Click here for more on Ecological Foundations: seeing (our) nature as a whole over time
→ Click here for tips for Ecological Wonder: field questions for finding meaningful clues to deepen understanding
It Reminds Me Of (Subjectively):
What memories, associations, or feelings come up?
This part is meaningful for two reasons:
It helps us to relate to what we’re observing. This relationship facilitates a deeper connection, and helps us to remember what we’ve seen.
It brings to light possible biases. Sometimes we misunderstand things because we’re subconsciously associating them with things that are more different than we might realize.
→ Read more about how the scientific method does its best to overcome biases
Learning to Go Deeper:
Just as we can’t really know someone after our first meeting with them, to get to know any part of (our) nature, we need to see how it survives and thrives within its environment over time. To go deeper you can:
Spend time observing the same place at different times of day and in different seasons. Make sure to note the time of day and the season in all of your notes.
Do nature-nerd research. You won’t always have the time to observe in ways that produce a meaningful understanding of what’s really going on. In those cases (which are many), there is so much information that been made available online by folks who have devoted their whole lives to this kind of deep inquiry.
How to Find Reputable Sources Online (By Colorado Technical University) note: if you use an AI source, it’s important to look at the articles that it’s sighting for it’s summary
→ Read more on Nature’s Gifts of Hope and Resilience: Big-Pictures Presents that Keep Us Going
→ Read more on Healing the Broken Mirrors of Bad Days: growing love with growing understanding of (our) Nature