Connect to Wilderness

01/24/2026

It was -1 degrees Fahrenheit when I got up this morning and I went for a run in the snow along the Presumpscot River; bundled up and enjoying the beauty and the solitude. It is possible to have a great time outside in the cold; dressing warmly and in layers is essential and time outside in nature is always uplifting for me. I know this without reading all the studies; but also enjoy knowing that what my heart already knows is supported by science.

Winter’s shorter daylight hours can negatively affect mental health, with many experiencing fatigue, mood changes, and in some cases, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a more severe depressive condition. Reduced sunlight impacts serotonin levels and disrupts circadian rhythms, but spending time o...

10/12/2025

09/30/2025

I have been going out every morning to see where the bumblebees are sleeping. These are the drones that can't go back to the nest. They sleep on flowers at night. And get a snack first thing when they wake up!

08/18/2025

Understanding ourselves as part of nature--i.e. the more than human world, and creating deep relationships with it, is essential to living the richness of human experience and for supporting the world around us. Use your imagination! Lean in!

Blending the insights of Carl Jung, Iain McGilchrist, and indigenous knowledge systems, the piece articulates a path forward that honors both the analytical mind and the symbolic heart. Ecological mentalizing is framed not as regression to a past worldview, but as the integration of ancient intuitio

06/04/2025

Red bellied woodpecker after the suet!

03/16/2025

Snowdrops are one of the earliest flowers to bloom in the spring. Delicate yet determined and strong. They grow right up through the leaves above them! Amazing 🙂!

03/09/2025

"Evidence has been growing for decades about the exposure to natural vs built environments and their impact on human health, beginning with Ulrich’s groundbreaking 1984 “A View Through a Window” study.1 Since that time, thousands of studies have demonstrated the multiple benefits that green spaces have on indicators of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being."

For those of us who have had the opportunity to be in the 'more than human world' this is self-evident. But many people growing up in urban areas and/or with little or no access to green spaces, the outdoors can feel edgy rather than nurturing. While most people who join me on forest bathing walks are comfortable in the outdoors, there are also people who feel unsafe walking 200 feet into the forest. If they walk out of the forest feeling a sense of belonging and connection with the more than human world (and they usually do!), it's because they chose to open themselves to something new and and mysterious and discovered something grounding and strangely familiar. As a guide I provide an opportunity; but the forest and the people who walk with me do all the essential work!

Reference Sudimac S, Kühn S. Can a nature walk change your brain? Investigating hippocampal brain plasticity after one hour in a forest. Environ Res. 2024;262(Pt 1);119813.  Study Objective