I spend a lot of time teaching kids about nature. I spend most mornings leading field trips at a local botanical garden/wildlife sanctuary talking about the importance of enjoying but respecting nature. I spend most of my vacations out in state parks, national parks, national preserves, national forests, historic sites, water management areas, botanical gardens, and basically any other place I can be semi-feral for a while and enjoy the majesty of nature. 

I’m currently watching a massive carpenter bee buzz around the outside of a cabin in state park. Bees are extremely cool pollinators, though most people think they just stop at honey bees (which aren’t even native to North America). In Florida alone, we have over 320 species of native bees and there are more than 4000 native bees in the U.S. Here’s a link to three nifty bees in Florida. 

Back in 2022, I took an online course about the native bees and butterflies of Florida and it was fascinating. Since then, I’ve found myself noticing far more bee species than I ever did before. Managed to take a few great pictures of them, too, using just my phone. 

I’m not a bee expert, though. I work with a few specialists and experts and it’s great getting to pick the brains of people who know so much about birds or plants or butterflies. I’m the “bridge” between the people who know an obsessive amount about a particular hobby or interest and the people who know a bit more than your average person. And it’s because my curiosity cannot seem to be confined. 

I geek out about slime molds and lichen as much as I do birds and orchids (which I have a weird knack for spotting). I’m constantly looking things up. (And I love that I work with people who are also endlessly curious about various things. 

All this to say: Curiosity is magic. So is our natural world. The kids who ask a ton of questions are often the ones who might one day cure disease or discover new species or find a way to protect us from our own destructive habits. 

Nature is also healing. I encourage everyone to get outside. (Wear sunscreen, hats, bug repellent, and other protections needed for the conditions.) Explore. Enjoy our natural world. It’s good therapy. (And full of great lessons.) 

Below is a link to an old AURORA song called “The Seed” which includes part of an old saying, often attributed to the Cree about not being able to eat money. For some reason the bees made me think of that this morning. 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=_Mc_OM5oNA8%3Fsi%3D2v-jJYmt2A3KWXSi