Seeing versus Looking

Sometimes I walk through the woods or along my creek and I feel like I'm looking at everything, but I've come to realize that I'm not necessarily seeing. In order to really see I often have to stop and stand still for a minute or two. When I try to really see, I have to admit, my eyes and brain get a little overwhelmed. Where at first I saw only trees, rocks, and a flowing stream, I started seeing chipmunk burrows hidden by leaves, raccoon scat near a tree, animal trails criss-crossing through the underbrush, woodpecker holes, squirrel claw marks up a tree, a small strand of fur caught on the end of a branch, tiny water snails, and more. There's SO much to see, it's dizzying!

Today I spent some time trying to see. However, despite my concentrated effort, I still almost missed what was right in front of me. I was walking along and absentmindedly brushed a hanging rose vine out of my way. But then I stopped and decided to look at it more closely. Carefully holding the branch so I could get a closer look without the breeze blowing it into my face, I noticed it had delicate green leaves bordered with crimson starting to come out. The combination of colors was quite beautiful. Proud of myself for having truly seen, I let go of the branch and was about to keep walking when something caught my eye. Once again I pulled the branch closer and to my surprise, only a few inches away from the beautiful leaves... the ones I had so carefully looked at... I saw a whole family of aphids. How could I have missed seeing them?

I'm learning that one of the tricks to really seeing is not necessarily to focus in just on one or two small details; it is to constantly vary your vision by shifting your focus. If I am engrossed by one thing, I will end up missing something else. However, if I maintain a broader vision, I will miss the small things. This is why I say my brain gets a little overwhelmed. Nevertheless, I find if rewarding every time.

Here are just a few tips to help you "see" nature:

•  Realize that seeing takes time - be patient
• Slow down and if possible stop (it may help to sit down)
• Pay attention (movement, colors, shapes, patterns, outlines...)
• Vary your vision - look up, down, side-to-side, up close and wide angle
• Keep a nature journal and draw some of the things you find
• And of course, practice!

I focused today only on sight, but nature observation includes listening, touching, smelling, and occasionally tasting. Imagine if I started observing using all my other senses as well!

"On the face of it, the easiest of all activities should be seeing what we see. In reality, it's the hardest." ~ Charles Movall

"The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." ~ Marcel Proust