You Do Not Have To Be a Naturalist

You do not have to be a naturalist.

You do not have to know how to identify plants, tracks, birds, or even trees. You do not have to know why the leaves change color in the fall, you don’t even have to know if squirrels build nests or not. It’s great if you know these things, but what is really important is that you notice the squirrel’s nest and wonder if the squirrel is nearby. Notice the animal tracks and wonder where they are going. Notice how some trees turn earlier than others and wonder why. Listen for the bird’s songs and try to see if you can see the bird making the noise- It doesn’t matter if you can name the bird. If you can, that’s great. It’s great if you can identify that tree over there, but you might not be able to.  But do you notice how the bark on this tree has a different pattern than the bark on that tree? Can you imagine the roots under your feet and wonder how deep they go?

You are a teacher. And you are an outdoor educator. You do not have to be a naturalist.

While writing this post I can’t help but think of a beautiful poem by Mary Oliver:

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.