Nature Watch: Observing the Wild World Around Us
Whether we live in urban or rural settings, most of us can say that we’ve visited a natural place such as a forest, lake, pond, mountain, beach, or meadow. If you haven’t, that’s okay; it’s never too late to explore the outdoors. Being in nature for many can be a peaceful, exciting, and educational experience all at once.
This post will cover some different types of natural spaces that you’ll find on Earth. We’ll also list some great ideas about how you can get out in nature and learn to observe the wild world around you. Even if you live in the city.
Image credit: Lukasz Szmigiel
What is Nature?
The idea of what is and isn’t nature has been discussed and debated among humans for thousands of years. In the most general sense, nature is what we see outside in the physical world. Animals, plants, rocks, water, clouds, and soil are all parts of nature. Humans can be considered a part of nature as well, since we are animals, but some feel that they and their creations are separate from nature.
Nature’s Biomes
There are certain natural environments on Earth that have similar plants, animals, and climate. These are called biomes. There are many different biomes on Earth. The five main ones are listed below:
Aquatic
An aquatic biome has water. Lakes, streams, wetlands, ponds, oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries are all aquatic biomes. Animals that live in an aquatic biome could be fish, crabs, clams, sharks, whales, and some mammals.
Desert
Desert biomes are very dry, meaning they receive less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain each year. There are hot deserts like the Sahara in northern Africa, and cold deserts like the Gobi in China and Mongolia. The animals and plants that live in the desert have adapted to live in extreme temperatures and dry conditions.
Forest
A forest biome is probably the biome that most people are familiar with. Trees are the main plants in a forest biome. A taiga is a forest biome that has conifer trees, or trees that have needles. A deciduous forest is a forest biome that has trees that shed their leaves each year; these are called deciduous trees. There are also tropical rainforests which are close to the equator and have hot, wet conditions.
Grassland
A grassland biome is a place that receives enough rainfall to support grasses, but not quite enough to support forests. There are tropical grasslands, known as savannas where lions, giraffes, and zebras live. There are also temperate grasslands, such as the prairies of North America that often have prairie dogs, burrowing insects, birds, and plant-eating grazers like deer.
Tundra
The tundra is the coldest of all biomes. Tundras are found in places like the arctic circle that surrounds the north pole or the continent of Antarctica at the south pole. Winter temperatures here can drop down to -50℉ (-45.5℃) while the summer temperatures never really rise above 50℉ (10℃). Despite the cold weather, many plants and animals have adapted to these extreme living conditions. The tundra has plants such as mosses, shrubs, and lichens. Animals that thrive here are arctic hares, snowy owls, caribou, and polar bears.
This map shows the locations of Earth’s biomes, both land (terrestrial) and water (aquatic). The legend on the bottom left will tell you what each color means. (Image credit: Arizona State University)
New Hampshire’s Biomes
Since the Discovery Center is located in New Hampshire, we’re going to talk about the biomes here in the Granite State. The wild parts of New Hampshire are mostly made up of a biome called temperate broadleaf and mixed forests. This just means that the forest biome here has both deciduous and conifer trees. Common conifer trees in New Hampshire are fir, hemlock, pine, and spruce. Common deciduous trees are ash, beech, birch, maple and oak.
Within the forest biomes of New Hampshire, are aquatic biomes. The Lakes Region in the central part of the state is a well-known vacation spot. Here, there are over 250 lakes, ponds, and beaches to explore. The largest lake in New Hampshire is the 72-square mile Lake Winnipesaukee. Surrounding the lakes are several mountains populated with temperate broadleaf and mixed forests.
In the southeastern part of New Hampshire is another aquatic biome: the seacoast. The state is known to have the smallest beach coastline in the United States, approximately 18 miles. Here there are state beaches and state parks that you can visit in order to get closer to nature.
A temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome in New Hampshire. An aquatic biome, a pond, can also be seen in the foreground. (Image credit: NH.gov)
How to Get Out and Explore Nature
Pictured here are some birdwatchers. Birdwatching is a very popular outdoor activity for people of all ages. It requires a lot of patience, especially if rare birds are the target of observation. (Image credit: Ryan Hagerty / Wikimedia)
With so many different types of biomes on Earth, there are endless activities that you can do in nature. If you live in a rural area, nature is most-likely all around you, and you won’t have to travel far to see it. If you live in the city, you are welcome to drive to the closest national or state park in your area to see nature.
However, you do not have to leave the city to watch nature in action. It’s true that some people feel that nature is only in a pristine setting untouched by humans. In reality, nature is all around us, even inside our homes. Here are some ways you can observe and connect with nature in an urban setting:
Try to search for and observe wild plants and animals. Perfectly planted flowers in pots and pets are considered a part of nature, but in order to challenge yourself, seek out the wild creatures and plants. Weeds in the sidewalk, bugs flying in the air, and birds searching for crumbs are all wild. For some in-depth reading, click here to learn about how more wild animals are flocking to cities.
Ask an adult to download Seek!, a kid-safe smartphone app from National Geographic and California Academy of Sciences. It allows you to take a picture of a plant or animal, and scientists (citizen and professional) will identify it for you. This will boost your observation skills and help you, and scientists learn what plants and animals live near you.
An easy creature to find anywhere is an insect. Collecting and observing the insects you find can be a fun and educational experience. Click here to read a list of places where you could find insects hiding.
Birds are also common, especially in cities. Sparrows, Starlings, Rock Pigeons, and Barn Swallows occur in more than 80 percent of cities all across the globe, but it is not uncommon to see many other types of birds. Click here to view a bird field guide from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You can use it to self-identify any bird you find.
Try to find a good place near you where you can observe nature in action. Maybe it’s a spot outside your window where you can see birds. Or maybe you have the perfect set of stairs outside your front door. You could also visit a park nearby where you can sit and observe. If you consider yourself an artist, draw what you see. If you’re more of a writer, write down everything you see, hear, or smell. If taking pictures is more fun for you, grab a camera and try to capture any nature-related things you can find.
Wherever you may be in the world, you are located close to nature. Even in the city, nature finds its way into the nooks and crannies of the brick and concrete and into the parks and small backyards of urban areas. By taking some time to observe the wild world around you, you may be surprised at how much you’ll actually find.
Nature can be found all around us, you just have to look. (Image credit: Sebastian Kurpiel)
Want More?
Check out the links below:
Finding Urban Nature by National Geographic
10 Ways to Find Nature in Urban Settings by Bright Horizons
Discovering Science in Nature by Scholastic
Get to Know These 15 Common Birds by Audubon
Video: Biomes of the World by Free School
New Hampshire State Park Finder
By Megan Goldsmith
