Nature Nerding

Reading “Is a River Alive?” by has me regularly contemplating the aliveness of all spaces.

Is a lawn alive? I hope so. It should be.

What is a lawn, anyway? Could it be more than a space to be manicured, controlled?

This morning has me appreciating the colours, the textures, the smells and the sounds - all the life - that make up mine.

🐜

La lecture de « Is a River Alive? » de Robert MacFarlane m’amène régulièrement à réfléchir à la vitalité de tous les espaces.

Une pelouse est-elle vivante ? Je l’espère. Elle devrait l’être.

Au fond, qu’est-ce qu’une pelouse ? Serait-ce autre chose qu’un espace à entretenir et à contrôler ?

Ce matin, j’apprécie les couleurs, les textures, les odeurs et les sons – toute cette vie – qui composent mon espace.

What’s it like to take a Nature Nerding walk? The first word that comes to mind is ‘surprising’.

In the best possible way.

We spend a lot of time IN our environment, but not so much time TAKING IN our environment.
We have a multitude of senses, but tend to favour two or three.
We have a rich diversity of species around us, but tend to notice only the bright, flashy and rare, often overlooking the beauty in the ordinary.

So it can be very surprising indeed when we discover just how much wonder surrounds us, no matter the location, no matter the season!

Nerding out on nature has provided a depth to my experience of this world that I can only describe as life-changing. And I don’t even think I am being dramatic in saying that! Slowing down to notice the finer details, immersing yourself in the moment as you utter a ‘woah’ that comes from deep in your soul… there’s truly nothing like it… and its available to everyone.

We just need to take the time.

Come take the time with me on Thursday, March 19 in Bedford or on Tuesday, March 24 in Knowlton. Sign up through Yamaska Literacy Council who are offering these wonderful events for free to the community!

And did we mention, we end with coffee and snacks!? 😏