John Burroughs wanted people to go outside and enjoy the nature that existed around them wherever they were, whether this was forest, farmland, ocean, desert, or a city park. He was concerned that people were staying indoors too much. He wrote this in the late 1800s. I think he’d be more concerned today.
We drive rather than walk to the neighborhood grocery. New neighborhoods often don’t have sidewalks. Or neighborhood groceries. Most of our houses don’t have porches for sitting outdoors, chatting with neighbors walking by, and watching the sun set over the woods. Our children don’t go outside to play, and many are afraid of being in the woods.
There are different reasons why we go into nature. Some of us go for several of them.Nature as a backdrop for our activities.We use the outdoors as a place for getting exercise — hiking, riding bikes, canoeing, playing baseball, soccer, golf, or skiing down a mountain. Most of us need the exercise, so this is good, but we often neglect to pause in our activities and observe what nature is doing around us. What did we learn from the mountain that we just skied down?
Nature as scienceSome of us like to spend hours figuring out how nature works. We look at it analytically and pull out guide books to identify trees, plants, and birds. We examine the scratches that glaciers carved into Yosemite’s walls, and the moraines they left behind. We take measurements of air and water to record matters dealing with global warming, pollution, and the effects of fracking. Nature is an experiment in process that we’re watching.
Nature as therapyNature can be a place for us to get away, relax, and unwind. We feel renewed by the fresh air, the unhurried pace, and the quietness of the outdoors. Maybe we think about the struggles we are having at home or at work, and let our minds wander around for insights. When we return home, we are refreshed, energized, and full of ideas.
Nature as inspirationIn places like our national parks, chosen because of their outstanding scenery, we are inspired by the beauty, the wonder, and the intricate diversity of life in the wild. Sometimes we see lightning flash off the tops of mountains during thunderstorms, tiny trout swimming under the ice in the river, or a two-foot-tall owl sitting on a branch in the woods.
Some of us feel spiritual outdoors, as if we were seeing the untouched remnants of Creation. We’re aware of a greater power around us. Sometimes we feel awe. We look for transcendence when we’re in nature, because we want to be reminded that we are part of something much greater than our individual lives.
Nature as relationshipWhatever we’re doing, no matter why we are outside, and whether we are following our heads or our hearts, we can develop a relationship with nature. We can rise with the sun and go to bed when it sets. We can adjust our life to interact differently with each season. We can treat nature as a friend instead of an adversary. It was only after John Muir forgot his plant press one day that he was forced to look at Yosemite as a whole, and felt a personal connection that he nurtured for the rest of his life.
The more we go in nature, the more we discover our favorite spots. Maybe there is a small glen by the river where we love to sit because we feel whole. Maybe the view off the side of a certain mountain makes us want to stay there forever.
Going outdoors for any reason is important, not only for our own health, but also for the health of the environment, because we only take care of what we love. If we don’t value being outdoors, then we won’t care what happens to it.

Nature reveals who we are, and uncovers longing for who we want to be.