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As a dog walker in Southern California, Rubén Arteaga spends a lot of time outside — at nearby parks, the beach, and on mountain trails. Yet with all his attention on the dogs and his mileage tracker, he never really looked at his surroundings. “My whole life,” he says, “I’ve spent my time looking down.”
But something shifted in him one day this winter. In the hills above Laguna Beach, Arteaga lifted his head and looked — really looked — at the clouds above, at the trees. He noticed the wildflowers. “I just saw the world was so much brighter, and that there were so many more colors,” he says. “It just made my gray, dim world feel a little brighter.”
Now that he pays more attention to his environment, being outdoors brings him a sense of serenity, he says, grounding him in the moment and pushing away thoughts of his to-do list.
Arteaga’s experience, though simple, is powerful — and measurable. Spending time outside in green spaces is linked to a number of positive mental and physical health outcomes. People who live in urban areas with greater exposure to green spaces, such as parks or gardens, have better mental health, according to a recent study. Indeed, living near parks, lakes, and beaches is associated with reduced risk of mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, research shows. Further research suggests that people who live near parks age more slowly than those who don’t. Nature is, in a literal sense, healing.
Whether or not we recognize these benefits, many people face hurdles to getting outside. Racism, colonialism, and segregation — past and present — have long excluded or displaced Indigenous, nonwhite, and queer people from safely accessing green spaces. People with marginalized backgrounds often feel unsafe in parks. (Look no further than the 2020 incident where a white woman called the police on Christian Cooper, a Black man who was birding in Central Park, because he asked that she leash her dog.)
What’s more, a growing majority of the country lives in urban areas and may lack the time or resources to travel to what are traditionally thought of as “natural” environments — parks, forests, rivers, lakes, and oceans. People with physical disabilities may also have difficulty navigating these spaces.
Then there are those of us who just don’t consider ourselves outdoorsy: Camping, dirt, and mosquitos don’t sound like a good time.
Yet experiencing time in nature and reaping all of its benefits is actually really easy. And it doesn’t matter where you live. From moss on neighborhood trees to the birds outside your window, the natural world is all around us and full of surprises — you just have to start paying attention.
“Nature, in my opinion, is deeply embedded around us,” says Yvette Stewart, the community outreach coordinator at Audubon Texas, a nonprofit environmental conservation group. “If people want to start tuning into it, the best thing to do is just pause outside.”
Here’s how to find a version of nature that works for you — and some suggestions on how to spend your time there.
How to find your place in nature
First things first: What does it actually mean to be “in nature”?
Nature is not just some faraway landscape full of trees. Any time we’re outside of a building, we are in nature, according to Katrina Clark, a board member of the Philadelphia-based In Color Birding Club: “That is true regardless of whether you live in the country, the suburbs, or the city.” If you hike through the woods or simply stop to admire flowers near the curb, you’re engaging with nature. Humans are an inherent part of nature, Clark says, though for the purpose of this story, we use “nature” to refer to plants, wildlife, and ecosystems.
To have a positive experience with the wild world, it can be helpful to first decide what you’re looking for and what kind of restrictions you might have: Do you want to get exercise? To engage your kids? Do you have limited time or no access to a car?
These questions will help guide you toward an accessible setting you’ll enjoy. For example, if you love plants, pay attention to how the trees bloom throughout the year, Stewart says. For a kid-friendly weekend activity, try starting a garden with your family (or just planting basil, mint, and other herbs in pots on your windowsill).
Maybe you’re looking for a social activity instead: Search for local birding clubs or guided hikes. Consider the time of year, too. You may want to pay close attention to the sky in the spring and fall when birds migrate. (Bird migration forecast maps can help you figure out the best time and places to see them.)
Similarly, think of experiences you want to avoid. If you really hate mosquitos, try spending time outside when it’s still chilly, such as in late fall or early spring.
People from communities that have been historically excluded from green spaces will have different considerations. “Coming back to those areas for people of color can be scary and be risky,” says Marc Chavez, the founder and director of Native Like Water, a nonprofit focusing on water. “You have to use precaution. You have to also help get over psychological trauma based on those areas.” To help overcome these personal emotional wounds, Chavez says it can be helpful to remember that any land, mountains, or rivers existed for thousands of years before they became a neighborhood, a national park, or a colonized territory.
How to access nature
Start small. One of the most universal pieces of advice we received from experts is to spend more time observing plant and animal life in your immediate surroundings. That could be a tree in your backyard, birds on top of buildings, or a neighborhood garden. “It could be something as simple as seeing the grass that is growing between the cracks [in the sidewalk] after a rain,” says He Sung Im, the public programs manager at Audubon Center at Debs Park.
If you’re feeling more adventurous, look for nearby city and state parks — they’re often a great place to start. If you live in a city and don’t have a car, check out where public transit can bring you. Even if you live in a place as urban as Manhattan, you can still hike within the city. “Take the A-train and go to Inwood Hill Park,” says Georgina Cullman, an ecologist for the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation. If you want a longer hike, just take the Metro-North train to the Hudson Valley, she says. (Pro tip: Wear long pants, use bug spray, and check your body — and your pet’s — for ticks when you get home. Shower, too.)
For help finding appropriate hiking trails, check out websites like TrailLink and AllTrails, which list hikes by difficulty level. AllTrails also maintains a list of over 8,000 wheelchair-friendly trails nationwide. Similarly, the National Park Service has a list of accessibility features online for the country’s parks and monuments.
Living near a park is a privilege. Across the country, 100 million people do not have a park within a 10-minute walk from their homes. Parks primarily serving people of color are, on average, half the size of those in predominantly white neighborhoods. For those who don’t have access to reliable transportation and who don’t live near a park, try reaching out to nearby community groups (of birders, hikers, swimmers, etc.) — they may be able to help. For instance, Chavez founded Native Like Water in order to provide Native Americans who no longer had access to the ocean a comfortable, safe space to reconnect to the coastal environment. Initiatives include a 10-day youth program where participants explore the San Diego coastline while learning about the Indigenous peoples of the area, the ecology, and how to surf.
Historic barriers to accessibility remain for members of marginalized communities; take the Audubon Society, named after John James Audubon, a naturalist who enslaved others. Despite this history, younger and more diverse populations are reclaiming these spaces and activities — and making them more welcoming to all.
What to do outdoors
So you’ve figured out where to go. What do you do once you’re there?
The easiest thing is, essentially, nothing. Just wander.
“There should be no rush,” Chavez says. What’s most important is slowing down and observing what’s in front of you, no matter where you are, even on a five-minute walk outside your office. Pay attention to the creatures around you, the way the sun or the wind feels on your skin, the smell of moist soil.
If you feel like engaging a bit more with the space, check to see if there are any community groups or other organizations that oversee it. Places like gardens, arboretums, and nature centers often host tours and other events that will introduce you to the space and get you mingling with the community. Similarly, Facebook groups or “friends of” websites list community-led events and initiatives. Several experts also recommended bringing a friend, especially someone who likes the outdoors more than you. Then, you can determine which aspects of the environment most interest you and what you should keep an eye on next time.
You don’t even need to move at all. Clark suggests hanging out at outdoor beer gardens with plants and greenery if you want to socialize in the open air (yes, even that is time in nature!). Or instead of walking up steep trails to look for birds, try a “bird sit,” Im said. Find a nice spot with trees, stay quiet, and observe the birds around you. “We started doing bird sits because we realized a lot of city people are not really comfortable doing hikes,” Im says. To make it even easier, download an app called Merlin, which is essentially Shazam for bird calls; it will listen to and identify the birds around you. “The beautiful thing about birds is they’re literally found everywhere,” Stewart said.
If birds aren’t your thing, you could also try insect watching. Hear us out: When flowers are in bloom, dozens of insects may visit them in a single day to slurp up nectar or gather pollen, including butterflies, beetles, and bees. Sit next to some flowers and just watch. It’s relaxing — we swear!
If there’s a lake or stream at your destination, consider getting in the water — or even just being next to water. Research shows that looking at bodies of water can lower your heart rate and blood pressure and help you feel relaxed. Consider picnicking by a local reservoir or, better yet, renting a kayak or canoe. Some cities lend them out for free. “One of my favorite things that I get to do for my job,” Cullman says, “is getting to go out on a kayak and see different parts of the city.”
If you do, indeed, want to go camping, there are plenty of options short of trekking into the woods with your own gear. Some state parks run programs for a fee that will take you out camping for a night, even if you don’t have much experience or own your own gear. We’re also big fans of low-maintenance car camping. Instead of pitching a tent, you can sleep in your car near a trailhead that allows overnight parking. Then high tail it to the nearest diner for breakfast in the morning. You can even bring an air mattress out to your backyard. No planning required.
One very important note: No matter where you go, always be respectful to wildlife and other people. Pick up trash and dog poop, which can pollute streams and spread disease, even if it’s not yours. Do not police people’s behaviors. If you’re in a state park and there are loud children nearby, perhaps walk to another section of the park. Green spaces should be for everyone. On the flip side, if you see people trying to observe birds or other animals, use a quieter voice.
What gear and tools you’ll need
The good news is that you don’t really need anything. That said, you’ll be more comfortable outside with a good hat, large water bottle (Stewart recommends CamelBak), and sturdy shoes. Even if you’re looking for birds, binoculars aren’t a necessity. You can use the zoom feature on your phone camera, Im suggests. Some stores also rent binoculars or even provide them for free.
The best tools to enjoy time outside are free apps and websites. On platforms like iNaturalist, eBird, and PlantNet, you can browse nearby sightings of plants and animals and upload your own photos. A tool called BirdCast shows real-time maps and forecasts of bird migration, so you know where and when to look. A number of different apps, like Seek, will help you identify plants and even animals by just taking photos of them. And again, Merlin is a great platform for IDing birds by their calls alone.
Ultimately, a lot of what will make experiencing nature easier and more enjoyable is a shift in perspective — a shift in the way we view what nature is. “If you acknowledge [nature] as being any space that’s outside, where you can feel the wind and you can see the sun and you can get wet from a rainstorm, then it starts to bring nature back into your tangible world,” Stewart said. “Nature is all around us even in the most urban places in the world.”
