How do I become more...shall we say, outdoorsy?

[Chris in VA]

I don't like bugs. I don't like being uncomfy. I don't know very much about trees, plants, and the aforementioned bugs.

 

But the idea of starting a forest preschool as has been discussed here is SO intriguing. I do not think kids get enough time outdoors, and I would like to change myself so I could lead something like that.

 

So how do I start self-educating on the subject of nature, besides taking nature walks with a field guide? I want someone to tell me everything. Where could I find that, or what could I do to become someone who knows her way around the deciduous forests of VA? :D

[Remudamom]

Hmm, can't help you there. I'd rather be in the chicken house/barn/woods, wherever than doing housework.. does one of my girls belong to you? She is not outdoorsy, and I'm not sure I'm her mother. Neither is she.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm afraid that I don't know VA. But around here, there are books on "best hikes with children" in different states. Perhaps see if there is one for VA? I found these: http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Virginia-2nd-Virginias-Adventures/dp/0762727470 Find one that is nearby. Many marked for kids are pretty flat terrain, with pretty wide trails so that you are not walking through underbrush or brushing against plants that may have bugs on them. Some might have a picnic area with benches. Spend some time hiking the trail but if you find a place where you want to park (like the picnic area) do so. Bring a trail guide or two to help you find a few interesting things, but don't try to identify every bird, tree or bug the first time out.

[Carol in Cal.]

If you're good at them, you have a leg up on me!

 

I would buy the Coyote Guide and pick ONE THING to do regularly. Then pick one more. Probably start with a sit spot.

 

I would also go to your local natural history museum or regional wild park and sign up for a couple of easy guided walks. Learn a bit about the terrain and the flora/fauna, and look for it elsewhere.

 

Also, maybe buy 'Creepy Crawlers and the Scientific Method" and implement something in that. It lays out great descriptions of exactly what to do with your children in semi-wild nature, and it's been quite educational for me as well.

 

Or if all of those are to 'natural' to start with, buy "Sunflower Houses" and at least start with a charming, easy, kid-friendly garden project. Gardens are still outside, and they get you out there.

 

One tip--make sure that you have comfortable, designated clothes that you can stain without compunction. I have an old pair of running shoes, some dark socks, a 'grubby' pair of jeans, and some old t-shirts that I keep in mind for these kinds of activities. I also have a pair of Teva sandals that are surefooted wet or dry, and that I can just hose off. And I have a big floppy hat to keep the sun out of my face, and prescription sunglasses. I throw these on when I'm doing something like this, and with my water bottle and some canning jars to bring things home in, I'm all set. As I've done this more and more, I have started to carry a small backpack in the trunk with a towel, flashlight, water bottle, energy bars, and sunscreen. I need to add Bite Blocker this time of year. It's nice to be able to just hit the road quickly when the opportunity arises.

 

I believe that people are created to be in communion with wild nature. I believe that nature sounds calm us and that natural earth grounds us. I believe that children should be able to run and play, and should be able to learn caution without terror in nature. I believe that adults need nature as much as or maybe even more than children do. Any amount is better than none. A daily dose is best. Look around, notice the sky, enjoy the weather, delight in the trees as they change. Stop for 10 minutes to watch a bird or a squirrel. You won't be sorry.

[Laurie4b]

So how do I start self-educating on the subject of nature, besides taking nature walks with a field guide? I want someone to tell me everything. Where could I find that, or what could I do to become someone who knows her way around the deciduous forests of VA? :D

 

I actually think taking walks with a field guide is the best way to start. Learn to really *see* things--stop and look at different plants, trees, birds, etc. Be curious. Look things up. Appreciate the details that make up the beauty. My grandmother used to take me for nature walks as a kid and point out this and that wildflower or bird. She taught me to really *see* things and I believe that's what allowed me to develop as an artist. And now, there is nothing more renewing for me than to walk outside on a natural beach or in the woods, etc.

 

The other thing I would do is get a bird feeder and start watching birds from the comfort of your home.

[myfunnybunch]

I would go about it backward. Instead of looking at the field guide to give you something to spot, go out of doors and see what catches your eye. What's beautiful or interesting to you?

 

Then go home and look it up in a field guide or on the internet.

 

I find that when I go out with my kids with the intent of doing a nature study on trees, they'll find a fascinating bug or spot an unusual bird. If we go on a bird walk, they can't get enough of that tree with the big leaves or the way the water runs over the rocks in the river. LOL Now we just go out and see what we see, then study it afterward.

 

Cat

[KristenS]

Keep a 'nature journal' when you're out and about. If you see an interesting bird eating fries in the parking lot of McDonald's ... jot down its approximate size and coloration (unless you're good at drawing, in which case sketch it!). Then look it up in a simple bird guide when you get home. (The Peterson First Guides are good for beginners. So are the Golden ones.) We like to compare from various guides, since they all show slightly different pictures ... helps us narrow things down.

 

Bird feeders in the backyard are good for this too.

 

If you've got a lawn that's overtaken by weeds ... spend some time drawing or pressing the wildflowers, and looking them up, before you mow it all down. (Dh had to wait a week or so till I was done identifying, this spring. LOL.)

 

Have fun taking thinnish paper and unwrapped crayons, and doing rubbings of bark on various trees. Even without knowing the trees, you can have fun comparing the types of bark you find. And some tree guides will show you bark along with leaves and flowers and nuts, so you can use it as an ID tool.

 

Around here, all the maples have dropped their 'helicopter' seeds. Playing with those ... that's nature. And they're easy enough to sketch in your notebook too.

 

www.enature.com is a pretty fun guide to start with too.

[Mergath]

You could try taking a foraging class. There's a lot of stuff out there that is edible, or useful in some other way. Perhaps if you think of it like a trip to Mother Earth's grocery store, it might help you get over some of the ick factor. You could even start on your own by digging up some dandelions- the leaves are edible and can be eaten in a salad.

[mommylawyer]

I'm like you - to an extent. I hate, loathe, despise, and (sadly enough) fear bugs. I love camping though, go figure - I think it's because I like spending the night away from home and it's cheaper than a hotel.

 

Anyway, I recently purchased Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study (I've linked the FREE Google books version, if the link works). I'm coupling that with Harmony Art Mom's Nature Outdoor Challenges, which you can find here (just scroll down and you'll find them, starting with #1, on the far right column of the blog).

 

The kids seem to enjoy it and it's getting me to appreciate nature (and not be quite so afraid of the bugs and bees). I even sat outside and read a book while the kids played in the yard for 2 hours earlier today - and managed just to shoo the critters away without screaming (ah-hem... the bugs, not the kids, although shooing the kids was tempting)!

 

Good luck!

[MIch elle]

Then read The Burgess BIrd Book, next The Seashore Book; CLP nature readers

[cjbeach]

This is me. I'm a city girl. I freak when I see a bug. However I have gotten soooo much better. I had *no* interest but reading CM and trying to teach nature to my children has changed my ways, a bit. My only advice is to just get out there and do it... do the nature walks, keep the nature journals with your kids, etc.... Luckily I have a dh who is wonderful and so smart. He loves to teach our kids about the world around us, so I have a big help --he or my kids will touch things I won't. Ever. :D So I'd advise enlisting help where you can.

Moving to FL has helped me get over some of skeevishness. Luckily I have a 9yo who is a master lizard catcher, so I can stand on a chair on the other side of the room.:001_smile:.

I think now my kids even understand how skeevish I am. And it's a given that I'm always the first in the shower when we get home.;)

[jujsky]

I don't like bugs. I don't like being uncomfy. I don't know very much about trees, plants, and the aforementioned bugs.

 

But the idea of starting a forest preschool as has been discussed here is SO intriguing. I do not think kids get enough time outdoors, and I would like to change myself so I could lead something like that.

 

So how do I start self-educating on the subject of nature, besides taking nature walks with a field guide? I want someone to tell me everything. Where could I find that, or what could I do to become someone who knows her way around the deciduous forests of VA? :D

 

Can you find an outdoorsy mom who would be willing to help you? We have the hiking QUEEN in our co-op. I'm like you -- so not outdoorsy. She's pushing me well outside my personal comfort zone. It's great for the kids though. They are exposed to things through her that they would otherwise never be exposed to.

[RoughCollie]

I'd go to a state park that has trails and guides. I think the guides are called "interpreters". They have programs to teach people about nature, and give guided trail walks.

 

Look at your state's park website and you'll probably find a place near you.

[LibraryLover]

Well... you need a reason to go outside. What could your reasons be? Collecting brush for your fireplace, walking your dog, feeling warm sand or cool grass between your toes, enjoying the warmth of the sun on your face, cross country skiing on your snowy land/street/local park, caring for flowers or veggies or compost, fishing, kayaking, biking, enjoying the scent of the changing seasons, caring for any animals, taking a walk to see how the change of season affects where you live, stopping to chat with neighbors who also enjoy being outside, walking to do errands instead of driving if that's possible etc. Basically ask yourself, "Is there anything in it for me?"

 

I know a lot of city peple who love being outside. A good friend of mine lives in Manhattan, and when I visit, we head straight to Central Park. I am always amazed at how many people cross-country ski there! That place is a goldmine of outdoor activites. When she visits my area, she can't wait to get into the salty ocean, even when it's cold, and I do not like cold ocean water, even though I live by it. lol

 

That said, I think some people are not outdoor people, and I don't think that is a bad thing unless heatlh is at risk. But even then, one can move in a gym or a mall. If indoor people want to give their children some experiences outside, I'd imagine they would do the best they can with what they can stand. Maybe instead if going out every day, one goes out 2 or 3 times a week. Maybe you cover up head to foot , and top it off with a big floppy hat, as you simply read a book or type on your laptop as your kid pours water into dirt while you stay covered. lol

Edited April 26, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Laurie4b]

I would go about it backward. Instead of looking at the field guide to give you something to spot, go out of doors and see what catches your eye. What's beautiful or interesting to you?

 

 

Cat

 

I thought that's the way everyone did it, LOL! I would have thought the other way was backwards! How would you know what you might spot until you find it?

[Laurie4b]

I love state parks, but after planning a trip across the country, I realized that by googling our area plus "hiking" I came up with a ton of nice trails really close to home!

[Chris in VA]

Thanks for all the responses!

Here's more detail--

 

I live on 40 acres of wooded land, 20 of it developed with our church and cemetary. I am outside every day--weather fascinates me! Dd is very outdoorsy. I walk the dog, go to the field (small field on our land), press flowers, have a bird feeder, can id several trees and plants and about 20 birds, have Comstock's book and do nature study with dd...

 

But I don't have indepth knowledge, and, again, I get bitten up by mosquitos and hate feeling uncomfortable--so...

 

I am going to take the suggestions to take some classes at our local nature spots--the foraging class sounds like an awesome idea. The forest Kinder program just totally resonated with me--I feel like I've found a new life path or something! lol I'm just not very prepared.

 

Thanks for all the tips--more appreciated, of course.

[Rosie_0801]

But I don't have indepth knowledge, and, again, I get bitten up by mosquitos and hate feeling uncomfortable--so...

 

 

Then your first step is to learn to make insect repellent :D Lavender ointment works pretty well.

 

Rosie

[Nan in Mass]

Try your local Audubon society. Ours has weekly nature walks and lots of other sorts of programs. The nature walks are great. Somebody walks you through your local woods, pointing things out. It is easy to ask questions and say things like, "What did you say that was again?" If you bring a camera, you can take pictures of a few things to try to remember. This is a much, much easier way to learn your plants and animals than doing it on your own with a field guide. Field guides have all the possibilities in them, not just the things you are likely to see, and they don't tell one how one really identify things, which tends to be more by location and behavior. If I am in a field and I see something bright blue fly by, I know it is a bluebird, even though I didn't get a good look at the bird. To use a field guide to identify the bird, it would have to be sitting still and I would have to be looking at it at the right angle, and I would have to know that the other bright blue birds in my field guide aren't very likely. Or right now, if I drive by a woods and I see a cloud of white blossoms, I can be pretty sure it is shad, but if I wanted to use a field guide to figure that out, I would have to be up close and look at pages and pages of small white flowers. Identification is much easier than field guides make it look.

 

As far as getting more comfortable outside - I would begin with walks and picnics. Picnics are great for getting used to being outside. Pack up your supper and take it to the nearest park with picnic tables. (A plastic table cloth is a good idea.) Or carry your lunch outside and eat it on your back steps. It is good practice for figuring out how to dress so you will be comfortable outside.

 

Take some short walks when the weather isn't perfect. That will help you to figure out rain gear, etc.

 

I don't like being uncomfortable, either, but I spend tons of time outside. The trick is to learn how to dress and what to carry so that you can be reasonably comfortable. You can learn that by taking short walks. Get some rubber boots and a long raincoat. Get a billed cap to wear under the hood so it doesn't flop down into your eyes. Get some smart-wool socks (or something like them). Get a straw hat with a wide brim and a tie to keep it on your head in the wind. Get some of the expensive ultra-sheer sunscreen and some seabreeze for removing it. Get some comfortable walking sandles (keenes or tevas) and a sundress for hot weather (something that hangs from your shoulders). Get some blouses (much cooler than teeshirts), preferably linen. Get some long underware. l like cotton leggings under my pants unless I'm doing something where I can't go inside if I get wet. (Cotton is dangerous because unlike wool or some of the synthetics, it doesn't provide insulation when wet, but it is very comfortable for more normal outside activities.) Get some good bug spray and spray your hat and your shoes (you don't need to spray your skin). Get sunglasses. Get a scarf (I like silk ones) to keep the wind from going down your neck. Learn to dress in layers and carry a small, light backpack to stow the layers in. Pay attention and when you begin to get too hot, take off a layer, and when you begin get too cold, put something back on again. Get a small steel thermous and carry hot or cold drinks in it. Bring along something to sit on (a trashbag will work) so you don't get damp through the seat, and sit down and have a drink half-way through your walk, even if it is a short one.

 

There was an outdoor nursery school near us and it was fantastic. Good for you for thinking about this!

 

-Nan

[LibraryLover]

Nan, I agree that dressing apporpriately for the weather is most of the 'battle'. You just can't have fun in the cold, fi, if you don't have a scarf, , good gloves, a hat, layers etc. Once the comfort part is taken care of, you can enjoy the reason you're out. I remember moving from CA to Boston and being miserable...until I reinvested in some warm clothing! lol Same goes for warm weather outings...the right shoes, no flip flops, long pants to protect your legs from brush etc., can make or break a walk in the woods. :)

[Laura Corin]

Do you have any ranger-lead walks near you? We've been on a few (red squirrel habitat, woodland birds, autumn colours and seeds) and the rangers have been very helpful and enthusiastic.

 

Laura

[TXMomof4]

I'd go to a state park that has trails and guides. I think the guides are called "interpreters". They have programs to teach people about nature, and give guided trail walks.

 

Look at your state's park website and you'll probably find a place near you.

 

 

:iagree: All of the parks around here have guides and give different 'walks' to teach about a different subjects. Some do plants, some about animals, some just about the geography of the area. Use those experts and let them teach you.

 

Something we've done on our own was buy a flower press (or make one) and we pick flowers everytime we go walking somewhere. We are making flower scrapbooks for all of the different places we've gone. Texas has different flowers all over the state so we have one for my parents house, one for the DFW area - now in KS we have completely different flowers. We identify them, press them, and mark where we were when we picked them and what time of year. I love it, the kids love it and it's a great FREE souvenir.

[TravelingChris]

Chris, I would recommend Try Mason Neck State Park. I know that last year they had nature walks there with a ranger. Other areas near you or at least not that far are Prince William Forest (part of the National Park System) and try Fairfax county Parks. Arlington County Nature centers have a lot of programs and I know that Rock Creek Nature Center has a very good center with lots of specimens. I also think they have nature walks. If you want to do bird walks, I would be happy to take you to a walk near my house which happens on Monday mornings at 9. Oh and the geology book I recommended is Geology Along the Skyline Drive, A Self Guided Tour for Motorists by Robert Badger. PM me if you would like to get together sometime since I love going out in the woods and have tons of nature guides.

[KristenS]

If you like weather, an activity that I picked up from one of the FIAR volumes but haven't done yet ...

 

Go to your local home improvement store and get lots of paint samples of various whites, light greys, light tans, etc. Then take them outside on different cloudy days and determine exactly what color the clouds really are. Are they white? Grey? Darker? What kind of white? And so on. It's supposed to be a lot of fun. :)

 

Astronomy can be a good stretch from weather too. Around here, right now, moonrise is happening during the daytime. The kids are getting a kick out of this. (My son has recently become a weather nut and memorizes the weather forecast page in our paper each day. So he can tell us the times to look for things.) Go from moon and sun stuff to simple star searches (it took me till this year to reliably spot the Big Dipper, sadly .. dh helped us on a recent Cub Scout campout).

 

If you live in an allergy zone, I suppose you could do the same color sample experiment with all the yellow pollen layers. LOL. I'm half tempted to try that one actually...

 

Some national parks have Junior Ranger programs ... you can check nearby ones online and see what they offer. Some even have their booklets online but you can't get the 'award' unless you complete it in the park. (None near us, alas, but it looks like fun!)

 

If the cemetery is old, do rubbings of that. How has the weather eroded the older stones? What about the newer ones? What plants are growing there, and why might they have been chosen?

 

Just some random ideas.

[katemary63]

Hmm, can't help you there. I'd rather be in the chicken house/barn/woods, wherever than doing housework.. does one of my girls belong to you? She is not outdoorsy, and I'm not sure I'm her mother. Neither is she.

 

Haha, this is me! Bugs schmugs. They are an everyday part of life for me. I barely stop to flick them off my pant leg. What I hate are walls and cleaning products! I also have a daughter who hates the outdoors. Where did she come from!?