“Throughout our evolution, we’ve spent 99.9% of our time in nature. Our physiology is still adapted to it. During everyday life, a feeling of comfort can be achieved if our rhythms are synchronized with those of the environment.”
We humans are life-forms that have evolved from the earth and the cosmos at large. Despite this, many people still feel separate from the earth. Why is that so?
According to Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, this disconnection contributes to his theory of nature deficit disorder and also corresponds with the concept of place blindness and species loneliness.
Place blindness refers to our impaired awareness of our environment due to our tech-driven, indoor lifestyles. As human beings, we evolved first as a product of nature. We were shaped and strengthened over millions of years by our struggles, triumphs, and intimate connections with the environment. Since we have increasingly mastered technology, we have slowly gained the ability to become less products of nature and more of our own inventions.
We live in a time when the majority of people are growing, learning, and evolving predominantly inside this human-made world. So much so that many cannot even see nature, which carries on, to the best of its ability, outside their windows and screens. This is what Louv refers to as place blindness. Did you know:
According to a 2016 CNN poll, the average American now spends 11 hours a day looking at a screen.
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the average American spends more than 90% of their life indoors.
The World Health Organization reported that, in 2008, more than half the world’s population was living in an urban environment, making us, for the first time in our history, a predominantly urban species.
Species loneliness is a concept that speaks to the way in which modern society can be isolating-not only from the land, but also from other life-forms. If we accept the premise that human beings have an innate attraction to other living things, it isn’t hard to accept the possibility that being cut off from them might lead to sadness, loneliness, and a longing for connection with the natural world.
When we spend mindful time in nature and allow ourselves to become relatively still in mind and body, we might find ourselves connecting with other life-forms that we would normally pass by or not notice at all. People often consider encounters with large mammals the most impactful, but mindful encounters with ants, frogs, birds, plants, and trees can be just as meaningful as seeing a bear or a moose.
As a Mindful Outdoor Guide, it is my duty to address the disconnection we all experience, helping you to better see, know, and bond with the ecosystem in which you are surrounded. I use mindfulness and bird watching as powerful tools for breaking down the barriers that separate people from the rest of nature. I firmly believe that regular doses of nature help make us feel better, helps combat stress, and boosts our immunity. Other possible benefits may include:
Decrease in the presence of the stress hormone cortisol
Decrease in sympathetic nervous system activity
Decrease in blood pressure
Decrease in heart rate
Reduced depressive symptoms and hostility
Improved sleep
Improved vigor
In leading these hikes, I compassionately invite you into engagement with the natural world-creating a space for learning that feels safe and allows for greater exploration of the world around you. I invite you to join me in practicing mindfulness to deepen your connection with land, place, and the more-than-human world.
Meditation on the landscape with me. View my current offerings here.
Mindful Birders for my first Mindfulness + Bird Watching session!
Thank you to Micah Mortali and the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership for your excellent dedication, guidance, and training. I am deeply thankful for your courage.
You simply will not find a better pair of binoculars at this pricepoint!
These binoculars are excellent for birding, delivering hard-working, reliable optics, sharp resolution, enhanced contrast, and rugged durability.
Waterproof, shockproof, and fogproof, these will be the last pair of binoculars you’ll need to buy!
Each pair of binoculars comes with:
Binocular harness
Comfort neck strap
Tethered objective lens covers
Rainguard eyepiece cover
Lens cloth
Unlimited, unconditional, lifetime warranty
If you’re looking for a pair of binoculars that are ideal for those who wear glasses, and have more capability birding in low-light conditions, with upgraded glass, check out the Vortex Viper HD 8×42 Binoculars.
Birds with Seth is an official Vortex Optics dealer. You will not find a better price online, as these are sold at MAP (minimum advertised pricing). If you do find these binoculars listed for a lesser price, please contact me at seth@birdswithseth.com so that we adjust pricing accordingly.
Unless backordered, orders will dropship with FREE SHIPPING via directly from Vortex Optics, typically within 24 hours from date of purchase.
A must-have for birders of all ages!
Written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley, this guide details 51 species of waterbirds - ducks, shorebirds, loons, grebes, swans, geese, gulls, terns, bitterns, herons, and egrets - both common and exotic- found in the Great Lakes region.
This guide includes captions which capture the gestalt of each species, both in-flight and perched illustrations, and season information.
This field guide is very durable, waterproof, and measures 4”x9”.
A must-have for birders of all ages!
Written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley, this guide details 27 species of eagles, hawks, falcons, kites, vultures, and harriers- both common and exotic- found east of the Rockies.
This guide includes captions which capture the gestalt of each species, detailed range maps, both in-flight and perched illustrations, and special in-flight illustration panels that show relative sizes.
This field guide is very durable, waterproof, and measures 4”x9”.
These stickers are awesome! This sticker book contains over 400 scientifically-accurate bird illustrations, making the perfect gift for bird-lovers, crafters, scrapbookers, and sticker lovers.
Peel and stick hundreds of extravagant illustrations to decorate greeting cards, letters, packages, classroom notebooks, scrapbooks, cell phone cases—anything your heart desires!
For the curious-minded, each bird is identified by name.
24 pgs.
