OBSERVE
When we approach the natural world with open-hearted attention, we can move beyond simple observation and enter into a partnership with our environment.
Remember when you were a child exploring the garden for beetles and worms or investigating rock pools at the beach like the intrepid explorer you knew you were destined to be? Remember the smell of warm rotting vegetation in the caterpillar home you made, watching sticklebacks and minnows twinkle in a jar? It was a time when such things came naturally, easily. It was expected, encouraged even that exploring and adventuring was an important part of growing up. What happened to that sense of wonder, the string of curious questions, the sense of it being ok to spend as much time as you like idly laying in the sun listening to insects, birds, your own heart beat, your breath…
It hasn’t gone, it’s just forgotten. Other seemingly more important tasks have taken our time and attention, but you can find your sense of wonder and curiosity again.
When you are out and about, allow yourself to be inquisitive, make a conscious decision to notice. Seek out the wildflowers growing out of the pavement, watch the blackbird turning over leaves in the park. Look up at the sky, look into holes, lift stones in the garden or on the foreshore and see what lies beneath. You’ll quickly rekindle your sense of curiosity and learn to use it again.
A pair of binoculars are fantastic for helping you observe more. More detail, more colour, more action, more wildlife. Not only can binoculars help you identify distant species and enjoy the display of far off birds, they can also bring the detail of closer things to life too. Like the detail of the butterfly that would doubtless have disappeared when you got a little closer.
Observation is not just about looking, try to use all your senses. What can you hear? Birds, insects, the rustle of the wind in the trees, running water perhaps? How does the weather feel on your face? What does the Earth feel like under your feet? What can you smell as you rub leaves or the soil through your fingers?
Next comes the deeper observation. Really look at what is going on around you and start to ask questions. What made that hole? Why have those fallen trees been left across the river? Where do all the birds go at night? Can that wildflower be used for medicine? What is the purpose of that insect? There are answers to all these questions, seek them out, enjoy the knowledge you acquire and allow it to encourage you to ask more questions.
Behold! Your observations have rekindled your sense of curiosity and wonder and you have created a stronger bond between you and the natural world.