I know we are all trying to get that perfect selfie…but…

During vacation season as the temperatures go up, so do the number of people visiting national parks. Yay! More and more of us are heading outdoors to get relief from the stress of our technology driven, fast-paced lives! Unfortunately, lots of park tourists end up making headlines for getting too close to wildlife or tramping through sensitive ecological areas. Don’t be that tourist!

The reality is that you could miss out on meaningful experiences because you are jockeying for position trying to take that selfie! Or you could inadvertently place yourself in a dangerous situation to create a viral Instagram post. In some cases, attempts to grab social media likes could put you and others at risk. Also, these behaviors could potentially harm wildlife and sensitive environments. Even something you wouldn’t think was disturbing, like building a rock stack, can often be harmful. (Read more on Mystery Rock Stacks!)

Remember the reason you chose to outdoor recreate was to unplug, unwind, and slow down. All that effort to travel to a National Park are wasted because you have become that tourist! To fully experience National Parks you need to adapt and adopt the pace of nature. You will need to practice seeing (observing, noticing, wondering) instead of scrambling just to look. 

In this post, I am sharing 3 easy ways to NOT be that tourist to become a better park visitor. These 3 ways of being in nature apply to any of your outdoor experiences. Whether you are walking in the neighborhood or visiting your bucket list National Park!

Here are 3 Easy Ways to Become a Better National Park Visitor

• Learn to Dwell
• Connect with Nature
• Capture the Experience

I encourage you to consider outdoor recreation is for unplugging from technology driven society. Not for creating viral videos in a pursuit to build followers. We all want to experience nature and share those experiences with others. So read on about how these 3 easy ways can help you do both. 

Learn to Dwell 

In order to unplug from technological distractions and get into the rhythm of nature, to adopt the pace of nature, we need to learn to dwell. If you look up the word ‘dwell’ in any old dictionary it will have several definitions. In our contemporary, modern Western culture ‘dwell’ is most often used as a noun, a place to live. But to dwell can also be an action, a verb. But at the core of each meaning, dwell means to remain for a time and to keep the attention directed to.

That seems pretty simple. So, to learn to dwell you just need to remain for a time and keep your attention directed to something. This is not simple. This is REALLY hard! As evidenced by park tourists behaving badly, it seems we have a really, really hard time dwelling. Rather than dwelling we zoom through wilderness areas to move on to the next thing. We pass through national parks snapping photos from a car or capturing videos with attention directed onto the next thing.

Luckily, learning to dwell only requires us to embrace 3 key actions; 1) raising our sensory awareness, 2) being present, and 3) cultivating belonging.  

1. Raising Our Sensory Awareness

Do you ever notice how birds are more often heard rather than seen? Or how the smell of summer flowers is carried along a breeze that gently touches your face? And how the sight of trees swaying in that same breeze provides the time for the rhythm in that moment? Humans evolved a number of senses that are vital in helping us understand and interact with our surroundings. Sight, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting senses work together to gather data from the environment so you can experience the world. Tuning into those senses is the first step in learning to dwell. Sensory awareness increases your attention to your immediate surroundings and enhances your ability to engage meaningfully with that place.    

2. Being Present

Another essential aspect of dwelling as an action is attention. And being present is a product of focused attention. Notifications are pinging us, beckoning us to take our minds somewhere else. A future appointment, an upcoming event, or an incoming email are packaged as a banner made to glow across the phone screen to gain our attention. We can of course turn off these notifications, but what if we miss something? What if? So what?  Being present means to turn your awareness to the now, to the moment as it is unfolding before you. Joy can be found here. Being authentically present means you have engaged your senses through sensory awareness. It means your attention is focused on those you are with as well as your surroundings.   

3. Cultivating Belonging

We search for belonging from a very early age. Belonging to a family, belonging amongst our peers, or belonging at work, or at school. But, some people think about belonging on a bigger scale. Where do I belong in the world or universe? Belonging invokes a sense of comfort, duty of care, and responsibility for the group. Most of us, as we hold steadfastly to the human categories (partner, family, friends) have removed ourselves from belonging to the world, or to nature. Insomuch that we see ourselves as spectators or passersby instead of participants. However, humans are inextricably part of nature, the world, and the universe. So the comfort, duty of care, and responsibility should also extend to wild and natural places that ignite all our senses. Places where we can be present and dwell.    

Connect with Nature 

Connection requires a relationship, and a relationship requires knowing and understanding. To connect with nature we need to spend time in nature. This can be taking a leisurely walk along a local nature trail or park, going on a family camping trip at an area state park, or visiting a bucket-list national park. All this time outdoors in nature can be used to dwell (to remain for a time and to keep the attention directed to) and build your knowledge of the plants, animals, and ecosystem.

Learning names of plants, birds, and other animals is just the beginning of knowing, to understand and build a relationship that enables you to connect with nature you need to 1) go beyond naming, 2) see the bigger picture, and 3) appreciate what is.

1. Go Beyond Naming

It is our instinct to want to know what something is, what it is called, where it belongs, and how it is categorized. Small children begin sorting and categorizing before the age of two. When dwelling in nature, it would be helpful to have a field guide so you can identify the plants and animals that you happen across as you share their space. Field guides have a long history helping people identify or name plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, and even rocks and shells. Check out my post on Field Guides to learn more!

It is quite exciting to see something new in nature, and then be able to put a name to it, to introduce yourself. Like any new relationship though once we have introduced ourselves we then must begin the longer process of getting to know one another. This is the foundation of your connection to nature to go beyond the naming to understand the behaviors and qualities of the plants and animals in that place.

2. See the Bigger Picture

We are all connected. We know this because we are all made of the same elements. This means that something that impacts one ecosystem will inevitably impact another and so on. As you begin building your relationship with nature by going beyond naming to building a relationship with other species and understanding their behaviors then a network of life emerges. You will see that everyone has a role to play in this beautifully designed world and we have to open our minds to be able to see the tendrils of that network reach out beyond one isolated place. I recommend meditating on this idea and then asking yourself, how do I fit into this network-into this bigger picture?   

3. Appreciate What Is

Some people see wild land or natural places as areas to be tamed or harvested for resources that feed humanity’s modern life. And there absolutely is a place for that, if it is done sustainably. Luckily, an ideal was forged long ago that some places should be left alone to remain as is. Many of those places were designated as national parks or other federal sites, and states have also recognized that some areas outside of the scope of federal protection should be set aside as state parks or wilderness areas. Developing an appreciation for what it is is a product of connecting to nature, and contributes to our overall sense of belonging. Afterall, don’t we want everyone (and everything) else to appreciate us for what we are?

Capture the Experience

Experiences in nature rejuvenate us and we carry those feelings as long as we can recall those special moments. There may be an impulse to behave as ‘that tourist’ in an attempt to take a selfie, record a video, or live stream a wildlife sighting or incredible vista. But, what if instead you pause for a moment to write in a field journal. Journaling is one of the best ways to facilitate attentiveness and create deeper connections to yourself and the natural world.

Field journaling is a type of journaling that combines the intentionality of field notes and the personal aspects of journaling. The purpose is to create a memorable experience in nature while also building knowledge and understanding of a wild or natural place, building a relationship, connecting, dwelling. For more on field journaling, read my post or try my Guided Field Journal!

Of course taking photos and videos are encouraged and will serve as wonderful reminders of your time outdoors. But a field journal will help you dwell, connect to nature, and capture the experience in a more authentic way by documenting your 1) observations, 2) drawings and sketches, and 3) reflections.   

1. Observations

Remember sensory awareness. You will use all the senses to observe the natural world and then simply add to your field journal what you observe. Describing your experience from the perspective of different senses can not only enhance your time outdoors, but can also help you recall the experience more vividly. As mentioned earlier, sight can be limited along a dense forest trail, but birds and other animals may be making sounds that can help you recognize who is enjoying the forest along with you. Smells are abundant in nature and vary from season to season and can add delight to your outdoor experience. A note of caution against touching and tasting as there are plants and animals that utilize toxins for protection, be aware of those before you venture out! 

2. Drawings and Sketches

Photos and videos are great! But sketching a flower, bird nest, rock formation, or other things you might find intriguing will bring your journal entry to life and help you get to know that species or place. By taking the time to note the minute details of something, an intimacy is created and from there the relationship and connection to nature strengthens. You do not have to be an artist to sketch in a field journal, these entries are for you and the more you sketch the more details you will find!

3. Reflections

We want our time in nature to be meaningful, to contribute to our overall well-being and taking some time to reflect on your experience will enhance this aspect of spending time outdoors. If you don’t know where to start with field journal reflections here are a few questions to consider as you get started:

• What did you notice that surprised you?
• What would you like to learn more about?
• How were you feeling while spending time in this place?
• When were you most at peace or happy?
• What are some things you would like to share with others?

A Better Experience for All

It is alarming to read headlines about park visitors harassing wildlife, destroying rock formations, and disturbing sensitive ecosystems. Don’t be that tourist! The outdoor community is better when more people spend time in nature at national parks and other natural sites. And if we can all Learn to Dwell, Connect with Nature, and Capture the Experience everyone will have a safe and enjoyable outdoor experience.

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