It is often said that you never experience the same river twice. The same can be said of a trail. The trails themselves, don’t change much. The conditions in which you experience the trail, however, do. That’s what makes getting out in nature every day so wonderful- you begin to get in tune with nature.
Phenology
Year in and year out, the seasons bring reasonably predictable changes. As you become mindful of these changes, you are engaging in phenology. Phenology is the study of cyclic changes in natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate, plant, and animal life. Simply put, phenology is being engaged in nature enough to know that your favorite wildflowers will be in bloom soon, or that elk are in the rut, or that streamflows and insect hatches are going to change your fishing experience.
The pandemic brought millions of people back outdoors. Websites, tourism businesses, environmental and recreational nonprofits, social media platforms, even App creators have noticed this trend. Social media is not without a deeply disturbing downside, but it has also blossomed with millions of people posting pictures of plants and insects and birds they have seen and are interested to learn more about. The App creators have seen this vacuum and filled it. Your phone can now be used as a resource to help you identify everything from rocks to plants to birdsong to clouds. Learn more about phenology on the web at the National Phenology Network or Aldo Leopold Foundation.
The Vision
The vision for HelenaOutdoors is to encourage people to get out and explore the part of the Venn diagram of their life that includes embracing the season, observing the natural community, and moving their bodies. With a little support and encouragement, people can learn to enjoy getting out and experiencing even the extreme cold and heat – because we know that neither will last – and we should go out and be in whatever nature throws at us at least for a bit. The more you come to enjoy being in nature, the more you are likely to do something to protect nature.
Health and Wellbeing
Being in nature supports our physical and mental health. Being mindful – really being present in nature is good for us. People in Japan believe in the art of stopping and soaking in nature’s atmosphere. Shinrin yoku is what they call it. It means “bathing in the forest atmosphere” and the goal is to have you stop and immerse yourself in the environment – use your senses to really be present in nature.
The Author
I’m an avid walker, naturalist, and lifelong learner. I am out in nature every day, typically, with my Labrador at my side. I work full-time and have a family, but I make it point to walk at least three or four times every day and observe what the plants, animals, and weather are doing. The Helena area is amazing for getting outside and getting moving in a variety of settings. I walked over 1,600 miles in 2023 while researching trails and photographing everything for this site. The Labrador probably has a few more miles than that. This is a labor of love and I will continue to update and modify this site for as long as I am able.
I hope you enjoy HelenaOutdoors.com and I hope you Helena outdoors everyday. Once you go looking, I believe that you will really find yourself in nature.
See you outdoors.
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than one seeks”
John Muir
