You don't have to go back to school for biology to better understand the wonders underfoot and overhead while you're enjoying the great outdoors. Instead, set a goal to study a new aspect of nature each year. Start with a narrow goal, so it doesn't seem overwhelming.
• Study animal and bird tracks in the sand or snow.
• Get a guidebook for identifying favorite trees through skeletal winter silhouettes, the shape of spring leaves or summer seeds and cones.
• Learn the names for backyard butterflies and moths, spiders and insects.
• Study funky shapes and colors of lichen or the micro-details of moss while bouldering or rock-climbing.
• Take a foraging class.
• Leverage your smartphone, too. Record a bird song or take a photo for identifying a mysterious berry later. Check app stores for programs such as iBird Pro. Most popular field guides have digital versions expanded with the full power of apps, which can include bird calls and ways to track nature sightings and submit images that can help with citizen-science research projects.
Most libraries and bookstores offer extensive natural history sections. Nature centers and state parks offer ranger talks, guidebooks for sale and even field kits that can be borrowed. Seek out guidebooks from the National Audubon Society, Peterson, Sibley, Smithsonian, and Minnesota-based Kollath + Stensaas's North Woods Naturalist Series. Once you're hooked and hungry for more, the bookshelf fills quickly. Ongoing research does occasionally trigger name changes and new discoveries, but most field guides last a lifetime.
