Naturalist Intelligence

The naturalist.. O, how I have a fond affection with this part of my intelligence. There is nothing more relaxing than my toes in the sand or digging my hands in dirt in hopes of plentiful yields of veggies and flowers. I really don’t even mind the chore of weeding. Being in my garden or basically anywhere outdoors is soothing to my soul. When I’m feeling the winter blues, I love getting outside for a walk and breath of fresh air. In the summer, I grew up near a river, so swimming is a must!!

The naturalist intelligence is how a person experiences his/her natural world. The attributes of this intelligence are displayed upon how a person nurtures and relates information to one’s natural surroundings. If a person’s intelligence is dominated by the strengths of this form they are what I call “in tune” with the environment. Yeah, it’s easy to stereotypically classify these people as hippies, farmers, environmentalists, or gardeners. I see it more than that. These people can walk into any area, whether be inside or outside, and just “know” what is needed to help the area function better. These people are “feelers”. This intelligence bestows a deep sense about what is needed to help things naturally relate and correspond.

Sadly, I’m worried a lot of people, especially children, are losing touch with this part of their intelligence.(It's hard to measure this on school standardized tests. In fact, it can be quite a debate amongst educators whether or not making garden plots on school grounds for class studies is considered educational.) The more we surround our self and families with processed, unnatural goods, the more we are disconnecting from the natural world. Most people live in urban areas surrounded by asphalt. We breathe polluted air and smother our bodies in all sorts of “beauty” products. Babies play with plastic toys and upgrade to TV,ipods,&video game consoles later in life,etc. Don't fret though! There are many new resources hitting the market on how to avoid loosing touch with the natural environment in a modern-day world. While in college I was forced to read the book, Geography of Childhood, my outlook on childhood changed. Read this and you just may see what I'm preachin about here.

   

Start by GETTING OUTDOORS-rain or shine! We are very blessed to live in the Pacific Northwest. It may rain here 10 months out of the year, but we have FRESH air, the beach and mountain within an hour or two, and green everything!! Getting outside and enjoying your surroundings is a helpful tip that can be applied to any lifestyle! Just do it! Last year Lil’ Em and I planted a garden together. I can’t wait for this year!!

Here are some shots I’ve taken while out exercising our intelligences! The naturalist in me, combined with my newest passion of photography, has discovered how much I enjoy taking photos within nature. I HEART how nature provides a beautiful backdrop and/or subject, combined with the element of natural light, to provide the perfect setting. 

~Peace