Embracing the Outdoors

When I was a child, I spent every moment I could outside. I played with insects, dug around the soil, and climbed rocks (I even naming a rock in my yard Mount Everest because it was a very big compared to my small body). My childhood was glorious; I had all the opportunity to connect with nature either in the forest or at my local park with all my senses. But along the way, other activities stole my time away from the outdoors and I spent the majority of my time indoors.

Likewise, people are prone to becoming more disconnected with nature as cities are urbanizing at a rapid rate. People are spending more time indoors, surrounded by man-made environments; thus being in nature is becoming less of a daily interaction.

Everett Crowley Park, Avalon pond

It’s not until recently where being part of CityStudio and learning in the outdoors, has reminded me of my childhood years. I remember how excited I was when I was in nature and being present in the now. I believe being connected to nature has never been so important as we live in rapidly urbanizing cities. Outdoor learning reminds me to treasure and appreciate the abundance of parks and green spaces in Vancouver that contributes to our well being. This stirs up curiosity and a stewardship attitude towards sustaining our natural environment. As I go for morning walks in trails and parks, I love how there is a sense of exploration and discovery of hidden trails. I love closing my eyes and being present in the now, listening intently to different birds singing, and seeing butterflies fly by. The trees that loom above me in every direction leave me in awe of how beautiful they are. I’m so fortunate to live in a city with such a majestic natural environment. It has brought back my child like joy of the outdoors and valuing the greenspaces in our city.