Exploring Nature with Your Senses
By Ashton Dukeman
Sometimes the best way to connect with nature isn’t through facts and field guides—it’s by slowing down and tuning in. Whether you’re walking a wooded trail, sitting beside a prairie, or pausing near a wetland, nature has a way of speaking to all five senses.
On your next visit to one of our five Conservation Areas, try taking a sensory hike. You don’t need any gear or even a destination. Just pick a trail, take a deep breath, be present in the moment, and let your senses guide you.
Look around—but not just at eye level. What colors are hiding at your feet? What patterns do you see in the bark of a tree, the movement of a bird, or the way light filters through the leaves?
Listen closely. Can you hear layers of sound? A chorus of frogs? The wing beats of a bird taking flight? The crunch of fall leaves under your feet? The wind brushing across grasses and through the trees? What’s loud? What’s subtle?
What’s rhythmic?
Breathe deeply. What can you smell? Fresh-cut grass? Warm pine needles? Earthy soil after a rain? You might notice different scents as you move through sun and shade or across habitats.
Reach out. Touch the textures of nature (safely and respectfully, of course, and remember to leave it where you found it). Is the moss soft? The bark rough? How does the breeze feel on your skin? Can you feel the temperature shift as you walk into the woods?
And finally—taste, the sense we usually leave out (for good reason!). We don’t encourage tasting things in nature unless you’re absolutely sure they’re safe. But you can ask yourself: What smells or sights trigger a memory of flavor? Does the sharp scent of cedar remind you of something spicy? Have some fun imagining what things in nature would taste like—if they were safe to eat. What flavor would a cattail have? What about puffball mushrooms or tree bark? The sillier, the better!
A sensory walk is not only a great way to slow down from the fast-paced stresses of life, but is a great way to reconnect with nature—and with yourself. No matter which Conservation Area you visit, you’ll find plenty of moments waiting to be experienced.
