10 Ways to Connect with Wildlife

This was created by Aaron Herst, a young naturalist that interned with TTC CoFounder Jake Haupert as part of a senior project partnership with Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2022. Aaron reflected on his relationship with nature and wildlife, how he connects and observes, and created the original draft of these methods. He then interviewed over 20 individuals from around the world, including some of our world’s foremost wildlife guides, gurus, and conservationists to gather feedback and other insights and we are happy to share this with you!

Wonder: in this world, everything happens for a reason. Try to think about why things have occurred the way that they did. Why is poison oak poisonous? Why are giraffes so tall? Why are beaver's tails shaped like that? Be curious. Wonder why.
Research: once you wonder about something, it is natural to want to know the answer. Maybe you have a good guess, and maybe you don’t, but it can be fun and insightful to see what the actual reason is for things to exist and if your guess was even close. Sometimes you are correct and sometimes you are wildly incorrect, but either way, learning is an enlightening experience. Seek better questions
Observe: this is probably the most obvious aspect of engaging with wildlife, but I think most people don’t actually realize what observation entails. Look at how the animal engages with its surroundings, whether it is alert and looking for potential predators or prey, or if it is more relaxed. Notice the manner with which it moves, or how it blends in with (or stands out from) its surroundings. Does it know you’re there? Does it care you’re there? Taking these things into account can greatly further your engagement with nature, and it can help you notice more things than you would have. For example, if you’ve been watching a ground squirrel standing on top of a rock and eating, but it suddenly makes a loud call and scampers off into a hole, there very well may be an eagle flying overhead or a fox just about to come into view. Look closer at things. Flip over that log and find what’s living underneath, check the bark of that tree to look if anything is crawling in the crevasses in the bark. Have the right tools to observe the wildlife. Bring binoculars and a camera if you are able. Don’t see. Observe. Have fun. Think of this as an adventure. Remember, you are fortunate to be able to see wildlife.
Sense: using all of your different senses can help you notice all sorts of things that you never would have thought about before. Hear the robin sing and take a guess at what message it is trying to communicate and with whom. Feel the spiny leaves of the Oregon Grape and imagine why it evolved to have those spines and what purpose they serve. Smell the cyanide that the yellow-spotted millipede produced when you picked it up and think about how they were able to harness such a powerful chemical. Use your intuition.
Note: take notes of what you see. They can be mental or physical notes. Take a look at how many different species you see on any given day. It can be fascinating to count the amount of each species you see as well. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it can be helpful to get a general idea of the number of each species that you see. Think about why you were able to see hundreds of ants, tens of robins, and a few deer, but only one bear. If you feel so inclined, create a personal field guide. Journal and sketch.
Broaden: try to experience different environments and at different times of the day. You’ll see so many different things on the beach than you will in the forest, even if they are right next to each other. Go out in the early mornings and watch and listen to the songbirds in the trees, then go again in the middle of the day and notice how few animals you see, even though they’re all still out there somewhere. Think about where they all could have gone. Then go out in the middle of the night, and hear the calls of a completely different set of species from the early mornings. Look around for the nocturnal species of the area, which are often some of the most fascinating, yet least commonly seen animals. Mindfulness. Note how the ecosystem changes with every step you take, in terms of time, and space, and how that change impacts you.
Travel: traveling around the world is a wonderful experience for many different reasons, including the ability to witness a great diversity of species and environments in all sorts of different places. You don’t necessarily have to travel for the purpose of seeing wildlife or nature. Even if you’re just traveling to visit family, it can be extremely rewarding to get up early one morning to go for a walk in a park, because you are more likely than ever to see something you’ve never seen before. Travel near and far. Return to the same places over time if you are able to learn more about that environment and how it changes throughout a given day or year. More about the depth than the distance.
Solitude: you don’t always have to venture out in a group. Sometimes the best way to truly take in your surroundings is by yourself. Solitude can help you focus on the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. It also can allow you to mentally tap into the subconscious of the world around you and make you feel more like a part of your surroundings. Try to get away from large roads and noise and light pollutants if possible. Balance.
Stillness: perhaps the best way to enhance the use of your five senses is to limit the distractions that your brain has to maneuver around. When you stop moving for a period of time and sit down on a rock or a log somewhere, your senses begin to heighten because you don’t have to focus on anything else. You may notice, for the first time, the bird that’s been calling in the distance or the beautiful scent of the pine trees. When you’re not focused on where your next step will land, it allows for more space in your brain to take in your surroundings. Be mindful of your breathing.
Relate: try to get inside the head of the animals. Think: “if I were that deer right now, what would I be thinking about?” Maybe they are on alert for a predator, or they are focused on which tree to browse from next. Maybe it’s a mother doe thinking about how she can best keep her newborn fawn safe and healthy. This can help you realize that these animals aren’t too different from humans (apart from the brutality of nature’s predator and prey dynamics) and maybe even allow you to relate to them a bit. For example, on a beach, you can see more, but more can see you.