Simple Ways to Reap the Rewards of Getting Back to Nature

Spring is just around the corner. How will you spend those extra hours of daylight? Longer spring days signal the perfect time to get outdoors, yet according to The Nature Conservancy, nature-related activities, such as fishing, hiking, and visits to public parks, have declined between 18 percent and 25 percent since 1981.

So what should you do with your time outdoors this spring? Back to Nature, creators of delicious food products made from simple, natural ingredients, and The Nature Conservancy have collaborated to bring you “The Backyard Guide to Nature” to help you enjoy, experience and explore nature.

Offering a range of fun, easy-to-do outdoor activities which can be done in your own neighborhood, whether urban, suburban or rural, “The Backyard Guide to Nature” helps to remind people that nature is within their reach, and that reconnecting with the world around you can be both easy and inspiring.

Here’s a sample of the tips and activities you’ll find in the Guide:

Enjoy Nature

• Start by doing just one thing in your backyard or neighborhood each week. Enjoy a breakfast of tasty Back to Nature granola on your back deck or patio, read the morning newspaper or your book in the park, or try to spot different kinds of birds, trees or animals. Even try moving your exercise routine outside.
• Appreciate nature wherever you find it — look up at the sky more often, listen to the chirping birds, breathe in the fresh air or feel the rain on your face, or watch a sunset or sunrise.

Experience Nature

• Relive childhood camping experiences, and bond with your own family in a fun, educational way, by having a backyard camping trip. Gather all the camping essentials, including a tent, sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, flashlights or lanterns, games, insect repellant and a camera to preserve the memories. Be sure to pack camping-friendly snacks and munchies, like Back to Nature granola, nuts and trail mix.
• Gardening draws you closer to nature and all you need is a sunny spot on your deck, patio, yard or windowsill, a few containers, some potting soil and some seeds or seedlings. Try planting tomatoes, peppers, green onions, lettuce, radishes and herbs like rosemary, basil and thyme, which do well in potted containers.
• Watching and listening to birds is an easy, fun way to reconnect with nature. Attract a variety of birds to your yard with a bird feeder you make yourself. Simply spread peanut butter on pine cones, roll them in bird seed until they’re covered, tie on a piece of string or ribbon and hang them outside to attract feathered friends to your backyard.
• Preserve some of the season’s bright blooms for use in arts and crafts throughout the year. Place flowers, arranged in a single layer, between sheets of tissue paper. Cover the top sheet with newspaper, then press the bundle beneath several heavy books for two to three weeks to remove all moisture. Use the dried flowers to decorate picture frames, cards, bookmarks and other crafts.

Explore Nature

• For a hands-on experience of nature, try a day trip to a working farm, look for a walking group or bird-watching group in your area, or gather a group of friends and head to a nearby hiking trail for a day of up-close-and personal nature.
• Pack up the family and take a scenic weekend drive through one of the country’s glorious national parks or visit a Nature Conservancy preserve in or near your state. Visit www.nature.org to find an interactive map of preserves near you.

For more ideas on how to get back to nature, visit www.backtonaturefoods.com to download your free copy of “The Backyard Guide to Nature.”