Stop and Smell the Roses: A Guide to Becoming a Naturalist
When you go outside, do you notice the plants and animals around you? What noises they make, how they look, what they’re doing? Maybe you hear an unusual bird singing on your morning walk, or see a plant that has just begun to bloom. Nature tells us not only about our world, but also about ourselves, and becoming a naturalist is a way to develop a more profound connection with the natural world.
In our modern day environment dominated by cars and seemingly endless apartment buildings, it’s easy to overlook the nature around us, especially being in a city or suburbs that may have limited access to the outdoors.
A naturalist is someone who is interested in and practices observing the natural world around them, connecting ecology in the abstract with lived experiences. There are no doctrines or requirements to be a naturalist, rather, being a naturalist is a personal experience that one can define and apply any way they desire.
Why is connecting with nature important?
Purple Passionflower viewed from a side angle. Photo by Christine Turner.
There is a phenomenon called “plant blindness.” Plant blindness manifests itself in situations where you perceive the greenery, but do not recognize it – it fades into the background of what you’re observing. Rather than seeing individual plants, you may only see a conglomerate of greenery. Being a naturalist means learning how to appreciate previously unnoticed things like the plants around you, and it’s a skill that’s easy to learn!
In his book Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv discusses how observing and experiencing nature is tantamount to our wellbeing. According to a publication by the American Psychological Association, nature can relieve us of our stress, encourage clearer thinking, and give us a renewed sense of appreciation for our world. Exposure to nature has even been associated with higher empathy and ability to cooperate. To get the most fulfillment out of your interactions with nature, consider approaching it with the mindset of a naturalist.
How to Start Your Naturalist Journey
Notebook surrounded by grass. Photo credit from 2Benny.
How do we become a naturalist and reconnect with nature? To get started, making a “naturalist journal” is very useful. In such journals, you recount the observations you make in a natural place. It doesn’t have to be in the middle of the woods; it could be somewhere as simple as the courtyard at your office. You can start by writing down the date, time, and location. Then, you can include the weather conditions you feel and see. After the basics, you can begin to document the different things you see around you. You may write about trees you do or don’t recognize, plants growing through cracks in the concrete, the noises of birds you hear, and so on and so forth. Begin to take a deeper look into your surroundings, trying to notice things you would normally overlook.
Making a journal is a great first step into becoming a naturalist. Once you’ve written down your observations, take them and try to find out more about the things you don’t recognize. Learn the names of trees like you would learn the names of your friends – building connections with something as simple as a name is a great way to begin your naturalist journey. Try not to get overwhelmed with learning everything all at once; getting to know a few species well is better than trying to memorize an encyclopedia!
Places You Can Go From Here
To find out more about what you observe, apps like Seek, an app to identify plants, mushrooms, and more, or Merlin, an app for identifying birds, are very helpful! Learning the different ways to describe what you’re observing can aid in finding more information, such as terminology about leaf structure or habitats.
Sharing the information you learn with others is an excellent step towards introducing them to things about their environments that they hadn’t noticed before, and can help you recall and build upon the things you’ve discovered.
Another great way to learn about the natural world is to join naturalist-led hikes, like those at state and national parks or Ijams Nature Center ! There is also a program by the Tennessee Naturalist Program where you can become a certified Tennessee Naturalist and learn about everything from geology to aquatic life. Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness, many parks, and proximity to the Smokies gives a breadth of opportunities to engage with nature – the most important thing is to get out there and experience it to the fullest.