“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul,” naturalist and author John Muir said. The benefits of spending time in the great outdoors are widely known by nature lovers and are also documented in many studies, often through participants’ subjective reports of feeling calmer and happier.
If you are ever in turmoil, going to nature can help. There, you can find inner peace and love, coming away refreshed. But why is it nature has such a powerful healing effect on us? It's a proven fact spending time outdoors makes us happier. The answer is: We are a part of nature too, and interacting with it truly helps us connect to our truest state of being.
As spring really start to takes off – and then all of a sudden becomes full-fledged summer! – it can be all too tempting to frolic bare-legged amidst all the greenery. But be on guard; amidst all the lovely-smelling foliage emerging also hide some poisonous plants that you don’t want to stick your nose in…or any part of your body, for that matter.
Seed paper is more than just fun to make: It's eco-friendly. It's a great way to give back to the earth. After all, paper is made from trees. It seems only right to return paper to the earth so it can grow new life again. The best part about making seed paper? It's relatively easy.
If you're ever out camping, or in a survival situation, it's essential to know how to purify water. This is a simple method that anyone could do, and does not require any fancy equipment. All you'll really need is a water canteen, close-knit cloth, another container, and a fire (or camp stove). I recommend collecting water only from flowing sources such as rivers whenever possible. Just do yourself a favor and avoid collecting water near, or downstream from, known animal homes.
The first time I saw a seed bomb it was in a Facebook video. Literally, I’ve been obsessed ever since. They are just the cutest things, so easy to make, and the best way to safely refurbish vacant lots. You can make a bunch of them and toss them in areas that really need more plants without having to worry about someone seeing. Since they decompose on their own, nature will take care of the rest. Unfortunately, you never know what is or isn't private property, so seed bombs are the ultimate discreet way of planting something (without spending much money or leaving any evidence).
Tired of your kid’s TV habit or your little one’s penchant for playing games and apps on your phone? Try sneaking a bit of nature into your kid’s daily routine – to make them love the world around them…
Trekking through a nearby state forest, I stopped dead in my tracks. I was appalled. A middle-aged man - who should know better - was openly defacing an iconic bridge. Have individuals lost respect for nature or is unaccountability leading their impulses?
Nature is good for me because it shows me a different, more expansive side of life that people too often do not expose themselves to in the cubicles of their minds' eye, from the limited contours of the concrete jungle.