Feeling a little lonely or sad these days? Wishing you had a new friend who was available anytime, day or night? Someone who didn’t care how old you were, what language you spoke, what color you were, or how many other friends you had? Someone who could sing all sorts of cool songs, create beautiful art, and make great snacks?

If this is you, then look no further…than outside your front door! No matter who you are nature nearby has been waiting to connect with you as a friend since the day you were born, in natural areas and parks right in your own community. And indeed, as we move into our Willamette Valley spring, those songs, art, and snacks that nature serves up daily will soon be available! Birds will be singing, a rainbow of flowers will bloom, and even berries will start to ripen.

When you develop a personal connection with nature, just like when you spend time with a friend, both your mental and physical health improve. And the same is true for kids, many of whom are suffering from significant stress and poor health these days. As a grown-up, you can connect with nature on your own, but the kids in our community may need your help. Here are a few ideas to get your started.

Parents: Make regular nature adventures and signing up for outdoor camps and activities a priority for your family. But don't stop there. Reach out to your child's classmates. Is there a friend at school who doesn't get outside often? Maybe their parents work on weekends...or their family doesn't own bicycles. Make room for an extra passenger next time you drive to Spencer Butte for a hike. Loan out a bicycle so a friend can come along on your next ride by the Willamette River. Or take your child and a friend to a family-friendly outdoor event sponsored by Nearby Nature, the Cascades Raptor Center, Mount Pisgah Arboretum, or WREN.

Neighbors: If you live next to a family that doesn't have a nice outdoor play space, offer to share your yard. Make your neighbor’s children a box of cones, stones, and shells for fairy-house building, create a mini-sandbox in a plastic tub, or a designate a spot in your garden where they can plant their own seeds or dig in the dirt. 

Daycare Providers: Make exploring outside your facility a part of your regular routine, just like morning circle or afternoon snack. Take a daily walk around the block or visit a nearby park. Watch squirrels, smell flowers, listen to birds, and pick berries. Venture further as you feel more comfortable with your students. Keep up your routine all year round, rain or shine.

Babysitters: Ask the family you work for to provide weather-hardy clothes, coats, and boots for your young charges. Spend time outside in the yard or at nearby parks. Build forts, jump in puddles, and make mud pies!

Mentors: If you are a youth mentor, make establishing a relationship with nature a regular part of the time you spend with your young friend. Go on outdoor adventures that your youth can do on their own again later. Hike up Skinner Butte, explore the riverside in Alton Baker Park, or go bird watching in the wetlands behind Valley River Center.

Teachers: Do everything you can to extend your classroom boundaries beyond its four walls. At school, plan playground or school garden science projects. Have reading groups meet outside. Set up a window-visible bird feeder. Schedule outdoor field trips with groups like Nearby Nature, Mount Pisgah Arboretum, or WREN.

Finally, remember that friendship is a two-way street. Be sure to treat your new friend, nature nearby, with abundant kindness and respect. Protect the creatures that make homes in community trees, waterways, and meadows. Leave no trace when you bike by rivers and walk through woodlands. Join in park clean-ups and care taking projects. And introduce nature nearby to others! The more friends the merrier!