[Nathan]

As a youth growing up in the Midwest, I looked forward to the summer months when we would visit friends and family in the lake communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
These outings created some of my earliest memories of connecting with nature through activities like fishing, hiking, canoeing, and exploring the woods.
Some of my fondest memories are ice fishing in -30 degree weather, fall canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe area and lastly hiking all of the state parks along the north shore of Minnesota. As a young teen, I joined the Boy Scouts of America, which introduced me to the basic skills of how to exist within nature in a respectful and sustainable manner. Later as a young adult, I joined the Army Reserves which among other things, honed my outdoor skills and gave me a sense of confidence in a variety of outdoor environments.
All of these experiences in some way helped build and strengthen my connection and appreciation for nature; however, it wasn’t until I moved to Colorado that my true connection with nature flourished.

People often ask me why I moved to Colorado and I like to tell people that I needed a new back yard.
The day I arrived in Colorado my wife Beth introduced me to our new puppy, Jasper, a Texas Blue Lacy.
A Texas Blue Lacy is a working ranch dog and we quickly discovered that he needs about 2 to 4 miles of walking/hiking each day to keep him satisfied.
Little did we know that Jasper would drastically change our lives and ultimately transform our relationship with Nature.
We are fortunate to live in Boulder County, where open spaces and hiking trails are plentiful so for the first year we explored the hiking trails along the Front Range.
This kept us all quite satisfied and we loved exploring our new back offered. A year later, Koa, a Texas Red Lacy came into our lives and together with Jasper developed an insatiable appetite for the trail. For the first few years we were walking the pups twice a day for 2-3 miles, but come the weekend they were looking for more.
We decided to take Jasper and Koa on a hike up one of Colorado’s 14ers. For those who might not be familiar with the term 14er, it is a mountain with its peak at 14,000 feet above sea level. Colorado is home to 58 14ers, the most of any state.
Eureka, we had discovered one of Jasper and Koa’s innate passions, to be on trial, working, route finding, and exploring through wooded slopes, alpine terrain, boulder fields, and snow-covered peaks. We had discovered a passion that allowed us to spend time together outdoors, void of our daily routine, challenging our physical and mental abilities.

It was the daily ritual of hiking that changed my Nature Connection.
I have found that hiking daily is similar to walking meditation. It gives me an opportunity to set my intention for the day, appreciate the beauty of the season, and nourish my physical and mental health.
The fact that I get to share that with my family is a bonus. It has been amazing watching Jasper and Koa interact with Nature on such an instinctual level.
Their happy, carefree, and curious behavior serves as a reminder of what behaviors I strive to reflect. I remember asking myself if I would ever get tired of seeing the Continental Divide on my daily hikes. To this day it is the view that I most look forward to. Although they are the same grouping of peaks, each day offers a new opportunity to appreciate their stature and beauty. I try to apply this same appreciation to those that I interact with daily. Loving them for who they are and for loving me for who I am that day.

Maintaining my Nature Connection is an ongoing challenge for me, as I often find it difficult to be fully present during the time I’m committing to being within Nature.
Here are a few tools I use to help maintain my presence.
Deep breathing helps to slow the heart rate, increase oxygen levels, and process the incoming aromas.
Visual scanning to identifying the birds, flowers, and animals of the day.
Listening for the intricate sounds of the birds, crickets, prairie goffers, cows, and wind through the trees.
Practicing gratitude for the things I experience on my journey.
When my mind wonders I re-center myself by using the mantra “Just This”.