Branching Out

Fri, January 10, 2025

 

 

With work deadlines, appointments, chores, and passion projects all competing for our attention… Each day becomes a balancing act—prioritizing what’s urgent, deciding what can wait, and what small indulgence I’ll allow myself because it brings me that sweet sweet serotonin. Working remotely makes me appreciate the moments I get outside, but I don’t want it to feel like just another task on my to-do list. So, I started asking myself: how can I enjoy being outdoors without turning it into a chore?

Last year, Russell encouraged us to step outside and simply observe the world around us. The next time we venture outdoors, take a moment to truly look. What’s beneath your feet? What are the animals up to? What plants are thriving around you? Notice the details you might normally overlook. 

I wondered what it would be like to connect with nature using all my senses. What if I didn’t just look and listen, but also felt, smelled, and took a bite out of the world around me? To explore this, I decided to take a walk on a trail in my neighborhood. Here’s what I found: 

Sight

Towering above me were Douglas-fir and western redcedar trees, the sun peeking through their canopies. Below, the understory was filled with ferns, cones, salal, blackberry, ivy, and herb Robert. I passed an old man walking his dog, and at one point, a hiker came up behind me and startled me—I jumped, but we both laughed it off.

 

Sound

The air was filled with familiar bird calls: the sharp caws of crows and the chirps of small finches. But then I heard the deep trill of a raven, followed by a startling, human-like yell—it was both unexpected and fascinating.

 

Smell

The air was thick with the earthy scent of wet soil, still fresh from the rain the day before.

 

Touch

I didn’t exactly go around touching every plant or diving into mystery mud, but I did let my hands explore the bark and moss of familiar trees. I’m unsure what happened to this tree in particular, but it felt cool peeling away at the wet inner bark.

 

Taste

Much like my approach to touching things, I wasn’t going to just go and munch on anything that looked good. I noticed young blackberry plants, which I am aware I could eat, later down the road. And a patch of fungi that I probably shouldn’t eat!

 

That walk was a good reminder of how refreshing it is to slow down and actually notice what’s around me. Using all my senses made it way more fun, and it didn’t feel like just another task to tackle. Sometimes, all you need is to step outside, take a breath, and let nature do its thing.