President’s Letter: Taking Time Outside
By Lori Danielson
When the pace of everyday life stresses me out, or the craziness of political news makes me wonder about the future of society, I’m drawn to nature. I go outside to seek an escape from the speed and anxiety, to spend time in a park or wooded area and quietly observe nature. While it’s difficult to clear my mind of everything that has caused the stress, sometimes I can fill it momentarily with the wonder of the world around us. Observing a blooming plant, ducks dabbling in a lake, or a family of raccoons trundling into the brush provides me a diverting and soothing reassurance that the greater-than- human world goes on, outside of our frenetic activity.
The biologist Edward O. Wilson hypothesized that people have an innate tendency to seek a connection to nature, which he called biophilia. He wrote about it in a 1984 book of the same name. It may not be true for everyone, or even recognized by many people, but I know that I seek that connection. I am attracted outdoors to observe, reflect, and find peace. I’m grateful that I live in a beautiful part of the world where nature is still visible and abundant.
I hope you, too, can find connection to nature in a local park or wild area. The sense of wonder, enjoyment, and a larger perspective on life that may come from being outside and observing the natural world are gifts to be treasured.