Day 8: Spend time in nature
Today's action: Embracing the outdoors
Congrats! You’ve just made it through your first week of climate action! Today’s action is to get outside (and okay, you might want to spend more than 5-10 minutes on this one)! Is there a park, nature preserve, or other green space you’d like to spend time in? Or even just a tree nearby that you can go appreciate? If you can’t get outside today, can you make a plan to do this in the next few weeks? If that’s still a no-go, do this: close your eyes and remember how it felt when you were last at your favorite nature spot. Or watch a nature documentary that inspires awe (here’s our list of suggestions, under "documentaries").
Why this action? Connecting to local nature can provide inspiration to protect it and helps remind you why you’re doing this. This action is also a win-win, as research shows that spending time in nature is good for your health! Enjoy this time; you’ve earned it!
Looking for more? Read on for more info and related actions.
Learn and reflect:
If you're planning a bigger nature adventure, check out Recreate Responsibly, which offers simple guidance for enjoying nature safely and responsibly.
Not everyone has the same access to the outdoors. Learn more about organizations helping to connect communities to nature, including Outdoor Afro, Wild Diversity, Adaptive Adventures, and Latino Outdoors.
Act:
Bonus points if you can make a plan to get outside and in nature consistently!
Curl up with a good book that centers nature in the narrative. Two of our faves are listed here under “fiction books.”
Pick up litter when you’re outside. Or look for opportunities to help clean up your favorite local nature spot; many parks have organized volunteer days. If you live in a city, you can also adopt a block and commit to helping it stay clean!
[Note: our original January post also included the following suggestion of setting up bird feeders. However, in spring 2022, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources recommended ceasing use of bird feeders and bird baths until local avian flu inflections subside. It's always best to check local guidance on whether to set up/take down bird feeders.] If you have space for it, feed your neighborhood birds! Here are tips and tricks and do's and don'ts to get you started. Just make sure you do it safely! (And if the squirrels keep getting into your feeder, here's some inspo for turning it into a squirrel obstacle course.)
