Enjoying Nature from Home

Connecting with the natural world can be enormously beneficial for your mental and physical health, especially during difficult times. While it’s easy for people who live in rural or secluded areas to step out for some fresh air and exercise, such experiences can be trickier for those of us who don’t have easy access to unpopulated trails or other natural areas - especially as many popular outdoor destinations have either crowded with recreationists or closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fortunately, it is possible to engage with nature while responsibly social distancing from your house or apartment. We’re listing several free and low-cost ways for people of all ages to enjoy aspects of the great outdoors from home, regardless of where they live. Scroll down to read more.     

Take up birding.

A cedar waxwing at Oak Spring.

 Whether you’re in a studio apartment or on hundreds of acres, you can easily birdwatch from your living room window or backyard patio – all you really need is a feeder (or a flat, high-up place, like a railing, to scatter birdseed), an identification guide, and maybe a pair of binoculars. And there’s no time like the present to get started: the arrival of warmer temperatures means migratory birds are returning and actively building nests, meaning that our feathered friends are more active than usual.

To help jumpstart your birding adventures, try downloading this free app from the Audubon Society,  which will help you identify the birds you see by appearance and by call, explore what species are in your area, get the latest news on bird conservation, and record the avian life you spot. It’s an activity that loved ones of all ages can enjoy and share, whether you’re living under the same roof or sheltering apart  - and  a great way to engage with the local wildlife without having to leave your home.

Try “plein air” painting.

Paul and Bunny Mellon were also fans of plein air art, like “Green Wheat Fields, Auvers” by Vincent Van Gogh. A reproduction hangs above the fireplace in the main residence; the original was donated to the National Gallery of Art.

 Every admired the peaceful landscapes painted by famous impressionists such Vincent Van Gogh and August Renoir? Both artists practiced plein air painting (from the French “en plein air,” or outdoors)  - basically, painting outside in nature.

While the peaceful practice is favored by landscape painters in particular, you certainly don’t need to hike into the remote wilderness to exercise your artistic side – or to spot something beautiful. Set up a chair and shady umbrella in your backyard (or on your balcony or rooftop, if you live in a city), take a look around, and channel your inner Monet.  Plein air artists typically use a lightweight, fast-drying medium like watercolor, but you can use whatever supplies you have on hand.  This is also a great activity for young children looking to get some fresh air and hone their observational skills. 

Start an at-home kitchen garden.

Green beans grown at the BCCF last year.

Seed purchases have been on the rise as more people turn to self-sustainable food sources. Growing your own food can be a great way to limit grocery store outings, support your local seed sellers and nurseries (be careful not to over-buy – leave some product for others!) and get your hands into some dirt. Many of the materials you need to get started can either be purchased online or found around your home, making it an easy activity to engage in while adhering to your state’s COVID-19 regulations.  

There are different levels of at-home gardening to experiment with, depending on your space, budget, and the greenness of your thumb. For complete beginners to gardening who live in an urban area, setting up a small herb garden on a balcony or south-facing window can be a good place to start – year-round herbs like basil, rosemary, and mint tend to do well indoors if properly cared for and given enough sunlight. This article from Lobotany.com has a lot of great tips on starting an in-house garden, including what kind of grow lights to buy if you have low natural light, how much to water certain plants need, and how to troubleshoot common problems. 

For those with a backyard and greater gardening ambition, we recommend checking out the wealth of straight-forward fact sheets provided by the Missouri Botanical Garden for beginner gardeners. They cover everything from how to select and prepare a site to starting plants from seeds indoors.  For Virginians, the Virginia Cooperative Extension has good resources on planting dates, garden pest management, and other gardening topics specific to our region. 

Become a smartphone naturalist.

Participants of ecologist Michael Gaige’s “Reading the Landscape” course practicing their identification skills on Rokeby in 2019.

You don’t need a science degree to become an expert on your local flora and fauna, or to help other citizens and scientists learn about the plants and animals in your region.  Even if you live in an urban area, there are still a lot of plants, insects, and other critters to be seen (if you’re unable to leave your house, try surveying the “wildlife” population of your basement or attic – you’d be surprised what you might find!)   

 Free apps like iNaturalist, Seek, and iBird can help you identify whatever interesting organism (or its tracks, feathers, or scat)  you come across, whether it’s in your backyard, or on a social distancing-appropriate stroll. The easy-to-use apps provide a great way to virtually engage with other nature enthusiasts, create useful data for scientists, and teach kids about their local environment.

Explore nature “virtually.” 

Click here to watch our “First Day of Spring” livestream of the formal garden on Facebook Live.

Unable to travel, or visit your local state park or botanical garden? The next best thing is to watch the creative virtual tours and livestreams that many parks and other beautiful natural places have been posting over the last few weeks – a respite from troubling news, and a reminder of the beauty that still exists in the world. Explore.org posts livestreams of everything from elephants in Mozambique to bald eagles in Iowa, and many major national parks in the U.S. have created stunning virtual tours of their landscapes. If gardens are your cup of tea, check out the virtual tours and livestreams from the Missouri Botanical Garden and the New York Botanical Garden.

The Oak Spring Garden Foundation has also been creating livestreams of our garden and landscape, and we plan to create more virtual content of our site continues to bloom with the season – follow us on social media to see new videos!