Nature Connection: So Much Still To Discover

As the new year begins, I find myself considering a word or phrase that may define my approach to the change of year on our calendars. Often the word arrives unbidden and I decide to just go with it, and this year the word that kept showing up was “discover.”

Even as a very young child I was attracted to discovery. I’m sure this was not a unique situation, as all children are discovering new things all the time. There is a whole world to explore, even if one is confined to a backyard. There are bugs and birds, plants and trees, mice and rabbits as well as all sorts of other things like mushrooms and lichens and the stars that shine each night. There are stories to hear, traditions to learn, and sounds to distinguish as well. We learn to smell the differences between delicious and disgusting, to stay away from things that can hurt us, and embrace those that make us feel safe.

As we get older that urge to discover may get a little lost. There are responsibilities to shoulder, jobs to do, bills to pay, and things to keep up and repair. The truth is, I think, that we begin to lose our sense of exploration and discovery as we enter adulthood, and some never get it back.

Recovering our sense of discovery isn’t difficult. There is always something new to discover, especially if we step outdoors. As I write, the sky is turning pink and lavender outside my window, the pink light extending across the treetops, painting them with its rosy paintbrush. It’s a momentary thing, this color of sunrise, but one I try to take in each morning. Yes, the sun rises every day, but the color palette is always a little bit different and well worth taking the time to enjoy.

Maybe sunrise is a bit early for you, especially in winter, but sunset is also beautiful. There are spots everyone gravitates to because they allow great access to dramatic sunsets, but even those who are house or office-bound can find a window that frames the colorful sky during that transitional moment.

Each new year invites us to discover something new, whether in our immediate environment or some place we’ve never explored. I grew up on Cape Cod and yet I am constantly finding new places to explore. I have favorite areas in every town, but each year I find more and more wonderful places that are new to me. There are all sorts of guided walks all over the Cape each winter but also plenty of opportunities to go out on our own. It’s always wise to study a trail map before setting off on our adventures. Our phones are great for many things, but they don’t always pick up a signal when we are out in the woods or on an outer Cape beach.

Discovery can be large or small. A favorite activity among science teachers of young children is to have them take inventory of animals and plants in a small area and keep track of them over several months to note changes during different seasons. How many of us could benefit from this approach in our own backyards? Most of us can probably name the common birds and animals that frequent our neighborhoods, but how many of us know what insects, especially butterflies and bees, spend the winters in our piles of brush and leaves? How many of us take note of where the spiders rest, the mice nest, or the toads and turtles spend their dormancy when winter settles in?

Winter is a great time to get out and discover all sorts of things that we may miss in other months. The lack of leaves allows us to find old bird nests and old wasp nests. Perhaps we will find an otter slide by a pond or a muskrat hole. If we’re lucky we may even see an otter or a muskrat. Winter is a great time to identify trees but also to see where the sheep’s laurel and the mayflowers are abundant. The first keeps its leaves all winter while the latter’s leaves look a bit sad but will prepare to blossom and grow new leaves in only a few months.

Prowling about in the woods, one might discover an owl’s roost by finding a collection of pellets beneath a tree. One can follow animal trails and tracks and maybe come upon an old den of a coyote or fox. Discovering where deer sleep is always fun, and finding places where the rabbits rest can keep a bunch of kids busy for longer than you might expect.

There’s a whole world to discover every day. Some things are more fun to find than others, such as kindness over bigotry, but if we look for something wonderful every day, we will probably find it. Some days our discoveries may be small, but even the tiniest are not insignificant. By learning to appreciate all the wonders of nature, we are guaranteed a lifetime of discoveries, for nature never disappoints. The curl of a leaf may reveal the pupae of a large moth while a collection of pinecone scales will tell us a tale of a hungry red squirrel. The outgoing tide leaves treasures every day. We just have to be open to looking for them and accepting each thing left behind as a gift for us to explore and appreciate.

It's a new year. Get outside and discover something new. You’ll be glad you did.