Make sure you’re wearing the correct protective gear for a bike ride. You should have a helmet at least. Knee and elbow pads are a good idea, too, especially if you’re biking on a trail.
If you plan on going rock climbing, make sure you talk to a sports goods store specialist about the equipment you need. You might also want to take a few rock climbing lessons before you tackle rock climbing on your own. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can get seriously hurt.
A botanical garden is a great place to visit to take photos, because the displays are usually arranged in eye-catching ways. You can also visit a nature preserve and looking for photo opportunities with animals or plant life.
For example, you could focus on one thing while you’re outside - the way flowers work, or the bird calls you hear. Then write as much as you can about your focus. You can also use your experience outside to tap into your emotions. How did sitting outside make you feel? Describe your emotions.
It can be helpful to take a photo of what you want to paint or sculpt so you have a reference when you get home. You can paint a particular plant or animal that you saw that caught your attention. You can also paint something more abstract, using paint to express how being outside made you feel.
For example, you could write entries about new nature preserves you’ve seen, flowers you’ve never encountered before, and other exciting nature experiences.
For example, you could start by sitting outside with your eyes closed. Focus on what you can hear. What animals or insects do you hear that you don’t normally? Can you hear water or the wind in the trees? You could also focus on really looking while you’re outside. Look for details you wouldn’t normally notice, like the pattern bark makes on a tree trunk, or the veins in a flower petal.
If you’re collecting with a kid, you can get a glass jar for them to store their goodies in. It makes it feel more special and gives them somewhere to store their things. Be careful about picking up stuff off the ground. You don’t want to accidentally pick up poison ivy or anything like that.
You could also go to a farmer’s market and choose fresh produce. Farmer’s markets are almost always held outside, and they feature seasonal fruits and veggies.
Focus on natural-smelling scents. Lavender and lime, orange with rose, and peppermint with chamomile are all good options. Fir or pine scents are also good.
Make sure you water your plants every day. You can also create an indoor herb garden by plant on herb each in small clay pots and arranging them on a window sill in full sunlight. Dill, parsley, cilantro, and chives are good basic herbs for this type of garden.
