How to Find Joy in Nature When You Need It Most

Perhaps you’ve been feeling overwhelmed. Climate progress may seem out of reach, democracy unstable, and the future perilous. And while it’s critical to sit with these fears, we don’t have to be stuck with them. Connecting with nature remains a powerful way to de-stress and fend off feelings of hopelessness or isolation, whether from climate anxiety or otherwise. 

A few years ago, we asked staff in NRDC’s Nature program to share their strategies for bringing the outdoors into their lives. The world was in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, and all of them reported feeling disconnected and thrown by the crisis. But they also shared that being outside in nature felt rejuvenating and provided a lot of comfort. 

Here are a few of their creative tips for bringing the wild world into your daily life. 

Take a walk (or a hike).

Whether feeling cooped up inside or in need of a mood booster, daily walks offer fresh air, sunshine, and a slice of nature—if you’re paying close enough attention. Elevate your stroll by being mindful of the wildlife buzzing around you. Snap photos of the plants and critters that catch your eye—identification apps like iNaturalist will help you identify the species. (Is that critter a lizard? Play herpetologist Earyn McGee’s social media game #FindthatLizard to learn more about what you’ve spotted!) 

Forage for wild edibles.

All around you, there are likely dozens of species of wild, edible berries, nuts, seeds, flowers, greens, and mushrooms—if you know what to look for. Scout out a chicken of the woods mushroom growing from a decaying tree or one of the dozens of varieties of wild mustard. But take it slow. Rely heavily on foraging guidebooks and lean into the online community of botanists, like @wildfoodlove on Instagram and Justin Robinson’s @countrygentlemancooks. 

Some good rules of thumb: Don’t eat anything unless you know exactly what it is; trust your senses by avoiding anything with a disagreeable odor; and avoid any plants that grow with leaves in groups of three, such as poison ivy. 

Get to know your backyard birds.

The United States is home to slightly more than 1,100 individual species of birds—and we bet you can spot a few from your window or a local park bench. That’s true for city dwellers too: Wildlife expert and Washington, D.C., resident Bobby McEnaney, director of land conservation for NRDC, often spots raptors near his apartment downtown. 

“As far as animals go, downtown D.C. mainly consists of a lot of smaller fauna: eastern squirrels, brown Norway rats, European starlings, house finches, cockroaches, and pigeons,” he acknowledges. But all of those squirrels and rats attract something else, he adds: a whole lot of raptors, including red-tails, Cooper’s hawks, and peregrine falcons. 

When he first moved to the city from Montana, McEnaney says, “we learned that almost like clockwork in October, peregrines would move in from the river into the city to hunt pigeons.” And that’s not all. “A few times a day, I will see a whole host of avian and bat species making their way through the city. For instance, we spotted two bald eagles that were soaring over town Thursday morning.”

To get started as a bird watcher, find yourself a pair of binoculars—any will do at first. A guidebook or an easy-to-use birding app, like Merlin from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, will help you identify the species you see. Start by documenting the handful of birds most common in your neighborhood—and if you’re feeling ambitious, start your “life list,” a comprehensive record of all the birds you’ve seen in your lifetime. Log your findings through the eBird app, which consolidates bird sightings into conservation data for researchers and students. 

Get out on the water.

Explore your local waterways from a kayak, rowboat, canoe, or paddleboard; in many states, restrictions on nonmotorized boat rentals have been eased, as these recreational activities are considered low risk. Exploring the outdoors by winding through rivers and across lakes often offers you access to parks that are more remote and less crowded than those you could otherwise explore. And if you’re lucky enough to live near the ocean, sea kayaking gives you more distance from the crowded shore. 

Mardi Fuller, writer, speaker, and advocate for racial equity outdoors, contributed an article for NRDC on the historical inequities that have shaped coastal access and their long-lasting impacts. As Fuller pointed out, data suggests that time spent near the ocean is positively correlated with better physical and mental health, but coastal communities have often been racially exclusive by design. Today, advocates are working to rectify these injustices. “Around the country," Fuller writes, "what look like surf groups or simple social gatherings at first glance are, in fact, BIPOC-led efforts to build community in and around the water.”

Hop on a bike

“Ever since I was a kid, I have found freedom and delight on a bicycle,” says Amy McNamara, freshwater ecosystems strategist at NRDC. “I think the joy comes from a combination of things: the wind hitting my face, the ability to explore using my own power, and the freedom to let my mind wander while I am pedaling, to name just a few.” 

Of course, many city dwellers and rural residents rely on bicycling as a basic means of moving around town, not just a form of recreation. As cities and communities increasingly invest in infrastructure for low-carbon transportation options that can replace polluting cars and cut down on traffic congestion, the hope is that biking and pedestrian networks will become a safe and more accessible way for residents to relieve stress as well.

Study the roots under your feet

“Our ‘citizenship’ in a bioregion means not only familiarity with the local ecology but a commitment to stewarding it together,” says writer Jenny Odell in her book How to Do Nothing. Odell embraces what she calls “bioregional awareness”—or giving yourself a sense of place. Often that practice begins with the simplest tasks of recognizing, and naming, what lives alongside you. 

Arohi Sharma, a policy analyst and NRDC’s resident Dirt Diva, has taken the chance to reconnect with her garden while her outdoor access is otherwise limited. “My plants may say that I’m obsessed,” she says. Sharma recently discovered that what she dismissed as weeds in her yard were in fact edible (though surprisingly sour) wood sorrel. “Thank goodness I didn’t throw her away,” Sharma says. “She’ll make a wonderful addition to salads when she gets a little stronger and her roots take hold. And her beautiful yellow flowers provide a food source to pollinators like bees and butterflies, which we always want more of in our garden.” 

As you learn the species of plants in your yard and where your town’s smaller rivers lead, remember to also acknowledge your land’s Indigeneous history. If you’re unsure whose land you occupy, the Indigeneous-led Native Land Digital offers a map that you can easily search by address. 

This story was first published on July 29, 2020, and has been updated with new information and links.

This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.