Connecting Children to the Urban Wilderness
Some live a life off the grid, out in the "wild" but most of us somewhere in between in a place more accurately described as the urban wilderness. While still entrenched in modern life, if you really stop and look, we really aren't as far removed from nature as one might think. Open your window, step outside your door, and take a quick look around. What do you see?
If you live in an apartment or in the middle of a large city you may be taking a few more seconds to look but keep looking. Are there birds flying by? Is there moss growing in a crack in the sidewalk? Is there a wildflower gracing someone's tree lawn?
I love seeing the world through my children's eyes because they never miss those little things! As an artist I tend to be a pretty keen observer of the world as well. So together we make the most of our time outdoors, whether it be in the small yard in our suburban home or wandering and exploring the local park system, something always catches our eye.
In the picture above we were at the edge of the pond behind our local nature center. Each small step into the edge between land and water, brought up beautiful swirls of mud rising under the surface. They moved out into the most entrancing patterns as warm tans and oranges met the shades of purple, browns, and blues, of the water's surface. My kids and I stood there forever just light pressing our feet upon the edge.
In the carline at school we are excited to observe the tall grass next to the parking lot. Red-Winged Blackbirds frequent the site and we love to see what they are up to as we wait in the car. Unexpected opportunities are always available! Nature connections can be found everywhere. Simple, engaging, awe-inspiring connections await, if you are open to them.
I'm making this post a short one. Intentionally. I want to start a conversation. How do you explore the edge between your home and the wilderness on a daily basis? How do you blur it? How do magnify the little things and bring out the beauty and wonder in the natural world, no matter where you are?
Post some of your favorite daily nature connections in the comments here or on our facebook community and let's inspire each other to explore the edge!
You can also get inspired and share your day to day moments by tagging #collectmakeexplore on Instagram. Let's see what the urban wilderness looks like to you!
