Losing Touch with the Natural World: Reflections
June 27, 2007
In this modern computerized world, there appears to be less and less time for people to enjoy the outdoors . Everyone seems to be in a hurry, and a general disconnect is evident as people always seem to be plugged into some device or other. When I am outdoors, I continually want to have use of all my senses to fully appreciate the natural world.
I want to hear the warbling of the birds, the buzzing of the bees, the knock-on-wood sound of the pileated woodpeckers as they search for insects high up in the trees. Then, there are the subtler sounds like the rustle of leaves, the soft babbling of the brook, the violin-like creaking of one tree trunk against another as they sway in the wind. All of that would be lost to me if I had an MP3 player blasting music into my ears.
I try to wear odor-free sunscreen and insect repellent (if possible) when walking in the woods because I want to take full advantage of all the fresh scents that are wafting in the breeze. My favorite scent is that of sap, be it pine, or birch, or maple. That scent is what defines a forest for me, and it is different from place to place. A forest in Maine smells differently from one in Florida, or in Colorado, for example.
I want to experience the texture of the tree trunks, the coolness of the minerals in the rocks of the river bed, and the ridges of the blades of a sedge. I cannot do that if I am always power walking, so I try to slow down my pace periodically and immerse myself in my surroundings.
What better way to immerse yourself in your surroundings than by tasting the bounty that Mother Earth has to offer. Succulent raspberries and sweet, low bush blueberries are nice and ripe out in the forest and on the rocky ridges. I’ve had both, just this week, on my travels through hill and dale.
Hey! It’s late and I’ve got to go outside, use my sense of sight, and do a little stargazing. Enough of this computer! Aughhh…light pollution! Save some energy and turn off those outside lights at night.
