Nature Connection: Change Is Nature’s Password

Imagine if we needed a password to enjoy nature instead of just stepping outside our doors? In a world where lab-manufactured foods are becoming more common and acceptable, where antibiotics once based on plants are now made from artificial chemicals imitating plants, it’s just not that hard to see this possibility in the murkiness of our crystal balls. If I was a guessing woman, I’d guess that password would be change. Toss in a few numbers and maybe an exclamation point.

No season makes nature’s changes as obvious as fall, I think. Leaves that have been green for months become a kaleidoscope of beautiful colors. The air changes from warm to cool and the birdsongs that greeted us each morning morph into insect songs and then the silence of cold, crisp mornings. 

Migration and hibernation get discussed in classrooms as chipmunks finish fixing up their dens and snakes slither into safe places in rock walls, under logs, or abandoned dens of groundhogs or skunks. They’re not too fussy. Like box turtles, they are not above sharing a den with its original tenant.

We marvel at the long flights of birds and butterflies, the treks of hoofed animals in other parts of the world, and the long marathon swims of humpback whales as they head to their southern breeding grounds. We put our gardens to bed, leaving flowerheads full of seeds for the birds and mice. We may weave mats with weathered grasses or make leaf prints or try to express our wonder and appreciation with paints or chalks. We stand under the full moon and rejoice in the ceiling of stars like our many ancestors before us. We hear the owls discussing their future plans and wish we understood their language.

Change is a regular part of nature, and anyone who spends a fair amount of time outdoors knows everything is always in flux. The seasons have a calendar of sorts but even that can be somewhat flexible. Spring can be early, winter can be late. It’s all relative.

As I write, I realize how much of our language accommodates states of change. We humans enjoy order and predictability but most of us are aware that nothing is written in stone, not even stones themselves. Stones wear away, change shape, break apart, and get moved around by forces they have no control over.

A Carolina wren is serenading the neighborhood as I type away, each of us making our own contributions to the noise of the day. The sun shines brightly; the moon still hangs in the sky but is slowly sinking toward the horizon. Clocks will be adjusted soon to allow more light in the morning and push the darkness up from evening to late afternoon. It is a brief time of encroaching darkness, but on the other side is the increasing light, so we can be patient, even enjoying the dark if we can be warm and cozy.

Blue jays are taking their fill of acorns and squirrels are gathering hickory nuts. It’s a good year for those particular trees which is a good thing for the animals and birds that rely on them to get through the winter. Holly trees are full of berries. So are red cedar trees. The cedars are being visited by multiple birds, but most holly berries won’t be taken until we’ve had some good long freezes and the berries ferment a bit. 

Most of our amphibian and reptile friends have already retreated into slumber, but you may still see a few around on very warm days. Some turtles remain active on and off all winter and can even be seen swimming under clear ice in local ponds.

The sea ducks, including common eiders, several species of scoters, mergansers, grebes and loons are arriving. Dabbling ducks such as teal and gadwalls won’t be far behind. The swallows have moved on but there are still hundreds of blackbirds gathering on wires and in trees. Wild turkeys are strutting their stuff, daring the hunters that may be stalking them. 

Deer and coyotes now have their winter coats as do the beautiful red foxes. Fishers, minks and otters have full and warm coats as well. We may still have some warm days, but nature is looking ahead to colder times and making sure all her furry friends will be ready for the chilly days but especially nights.

Flowers have gone to seed and birds are busy taking their fill. Birds that remain here all winter must fatten up a little to help maintain their energy as colder days get ever closer. Leave your gardens a little messy to help small mammals and birds make it through the winter. All those fallen leaves and dead grasses may be hosting dormant butterfly and moth eggs as well as bees that we all look forward to in the spring.

Nature is quite efficient and deals with change in very practical ways. If we are observant and open to suggestions, we might find many hints for simple and successful survival. Nature goes with the flow but also fights for survival. She makes room for all at the table and offers a variety of places to settle down to rest. She allows for different ways of getting around: flying and swimming, running and remaining stationary. It’s rather remarkable, really.

As we turn our November thoughts to gratitude, let’s be grateful for change and the ways nature teaches us that everything has its season, its reason, and its own somewhat flexible timetable.