Is becoming “nature fluent” really that important?

Many of us only go outside when we get our mail, rush to get in the car, run errands, or let the dog out. We mainly spend our time inside and often on devices. (Like the one you are looking at now!) And if we do intentionally get outside, we are pretty much “nature blind.”

We don’t hear the bird song around us. We can’t name 3 different birds that are frequent in our neighborhood–much less their bird song. The trees around us are telling us a story (“I’m full of buds and about to bloom! Spring is coming no matter what the calendar says!”) We don’t register whether the trees are evergreens or deciduous trees that drop their leaves each fall. Our nature blindness prevents us from really seeing. Most of us live this way, so what’s the big deal?

The combination of increased time indoors on our devices, and the withering of outdoor exploration, take a toll on our health. Japanese and Korean studies have shown that just 20 minutes in nature can reduce our blood pressure significantly. In nature, you aren’t thinking about your shortcomings, and you’re not thinking that any tree is too fat or too thin. They just are. They are lovely.

Nature helps us focus on the beauty and wonder around us, and not on our problems.

When we watch a vivid sunset, praise and gratitude well up within us, not complaints. (Have you ever heard someone complain about the colors of a sunset?) Being outside in God’s workroom allows us to discover the secret beauty that surrounds us and uncover mystery and awe. And that completely changes our outlook to a positive and hopeful one.