Naturally Yours: Tips and advice for dating an interpretive naturalist
So you want to date a naturalist. Or perhaps you are already dating one.
Who can blame you? Naturalists have a dreamy and wondrous sense of the world. They are always observing what's around them, taking time to look at each flower, each rock, every bird that passes by, often expressing colorful admiration for every butterfly or moth that flutters past. And more often than not naturalists are an open book, happily telling you about the amazing natural wonders around them, and opening your mind to things you might have never have known. And naturalists are always eager to get outside, rain or shine, to explore a new trail or to try and catch a new frog species with a child-like sense of enthusiasm and excitement.
Yes, we naturalists are dreamy, free-spirited, and curious creatures. But unless you too are naturalist , you may find some of our behaviors a little bit excessive at times. Perhaps an 8 mile hike up a steep ravine isn't necessarily your idea of every day fun, or flipping through a field guide on wildflowers is not exactly your cup of tea when you want to relax on your day off. So what can you do to ensure your happiness as well as the happiness of the naturalist you are dating?
First, it's important to understand the essence of an interpretive naturalist. Let's break that into two parts: interpretive and naturalist. As resource interpreters, our daily jobs are doing what you have probably seen numerous times on romantic evening nature walks with your naturalist. We love to share our knowledge and enthusiasm with the natural world with the hopes of inspiring others.
Where as others might consider nature walks a nice thing to do every once in a while, routine nature walks are an essential activity that confirms or sense of place and purpose. Indeed, we need to get out in nature on a daily basis as opposed to once in a while, or otherwise we start to go into withdrawal.
Secondly, we are naturalists. We love to identify plants and animals, or conduct bio-blitzes (rapid surveys of the different organisms found in a natural area)... for fun. In fact, we are even willing to spend an entire day driving from site to site (what I like to call "park-hopping") just to look and see what different natural areas offer.
We enjoy teaching others about the wonders of nature, and we are always striving to expand our understanding of the natural world...always. And I mean always! At work, at home, on vacation, or any other time we have a nonstop itch to explore the ecological sciences that must be satiated sooner rather than later. And on days where you would rather relax at home instead of hiking up a mountain, or on nights where you would prefer to bar-hop instead of park-hop, you might find yourself somewhat overexerted!
Here are some of the challenges you might face when your lover has his or her heart somewhere out in the wilderness:
"Let's go on an 8 mile hike through a steep ravine to look for salamanders!"
A few times per month naturalists need to get out and have a "field day." Doing so helps them to satisfy their craving to explore the natural world, but for many it can be a bit much to spend an entire day aimlessly bushwhacking through a jungle. At times it might be best for you to stay home on some days and let your naturalist have the time he or she needs to immerse themselves in nature. As a compromise, you could suggest shorter trips or more relaxed nature walks at least a few times that you could accompany them on. Naturalists love to have a companion alongside them, and they should be willing to compromise by planning outings with you that are a little more reasonable.
"Ohhh, what's this?" An adventure is always a few footsteps away when you're on a date with a naturalist! Be prepared for an unexpected outdoor adventure at any given time. Whenever you go out with a naturalist, be prepared for him or her to grab you by the hand and pull you into a garden, woodland, nature trail or other wild place. Even during so called "urban hikes" you might end up somehow chasing a dragonfly through a field or sniffing every flower in a garden. Be sure to bring a water bottle with you and perhaps some sunscreen or bug spray, because a naturalist's adventure will happen rain or shine and warm or cold.
"It's the end of the world!" Although in the workplace naturalists assume a positive attitude when working with school groups or the public, behind closed doors they can be outspoken bleeding hearts and even sometimes outright pessimists. Let's face it, the world is filled with pressing environmental problems ranging from global warming, loss of biodiversity, pollution, invasive species, citizen apathy and reduced government budgets. It's easy for a naturalist to become vulnerable to a consistent "doom and gloom" mentality. This is where you, their romantic partner, can step in and remind them of the good work that they do. Ask them to imagine how much worse things would be if the world did not have naturalists like them teaching others about environmental stewardship. And remind them that one of the reasons you love and care about them is because of their passion and good work. Remind your naturalist that you are here for them too and that you want them to be happy.
"Nothing ever changes, I'm not making enough of a difference!"
Naturalists are often ambitious professionals with a mission to save the world, and a such they can be vulnerable to a burn out, which might not always make your Friday nights the most cheerful one. Change comes slowly, and it might be surprising to know that you only need to petition to about 5-10% of the general population to adjust their behavior in order to move change forward, according to various social research experts. While naturalists have their work cut out for them, all of them have the ability to reach out to enough people to make a significant impact on protecting the environment. So tell your naturalist to cheer up and enjoy the time that you have together now! And enough rants about invasive species already! Sometimes it can be nice to just stop and smell the roses, regardless if they are the invasive Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) or the native Pasture Rose (R. carolina).
There's nothing more exotic or romantic than dating a naturalist! You will never get bored, and you'll see and learn about things you never imagined! So on your next evening out admiring moths, be sure to slow down and take some time to admire each other before you embark on your next journey through the brush.
Who can blame you? Naturalists have a dreamy and wondrous sense of the world. They are always observing what's around them, taking time to look at each flower, each rock, every bird that passes by, often expressing colorful admiration for every butterfly or moth that flutters past. And more often than not naturalists are an open book, happily telling you about the amazing natural wonders around them, and opening your mind to things you might have never have known. And naturalists are always eager to get outside, rain or shine, to explore a new trail or to try and catch a new frog species with a child-like sense of enthusiasm and excitement.
Yes, we naturalists are dreamy, free-spirited, and curious creatures. But unless you too are naturalist , you may find some of our behaviors a little bit excessive at times. Perhaps an 8 mile hike up a steep ravine isn't necessarily your idea of every day fun, or flipping through a field guide on wildflowers is not exactly your cup of tea when you want to relax on your day off. So what can you do to ensure your happiness as well as the happiness of the naturalist you are dating?
First, it's important to understand the essence of an interpretive naturalist. Let's break that into two parts: interpretive and naturalist. As resource interpreters, our daily jobs are doing what you have probably seen numerous times on romantic evening nature walks with your naturalist. We love to share our knowledge and enthusiasm with the natural world with the hopes of inspiring others.
Where as others might consider nature walks a nice thing to do every once in a while, routine nature walks are an essential activity that confirms or sense of place and purpose. Indeed, we need to get out in nature on a daily basis as opposed to once in a while, or otherwise we start to go into withdrawal.
Secondly, we are naturalists. We love to identify plants and animals, or conduct bio-blitzes (rapid surveys of the different organisms found in a natural area)... for fun. In fact, we are even willing to spend an entire day driving from site to site (what I like to call "park-hopping") just to look and see what different natural areas offer.
We enjoy teaching others about the wonders of nature, and we are always striving to expand our understanding of the natural world...always. And I mean always! At work, at home, on vacation, or any other time we have a nonstop itch to explore the ecological sciences that must be satiated sooner rather than later. And on days where you would rather relax at home instead of hiking up a mountain, or on nights where you would prefer to bar-hop instead of park-hop, you might find yourself somewhat overexerted!
Here are some of the challenges you might face when your lover has his or her heart somewhere out in the wilderness:
"Let's go on an 8 mile hike through a steep ravine to look for salamanders!"
A few times per month naturalists need to get out and have a "field day." Doing so helps them to satisfy their craving to explore the natural world, but for many it can be a bit much to spend an entire day aimlessly bushwhacking through a jungle. At times it might be best for you to stay home on some days and let your naturalist have the time he or she needs to immerse themselves in nature. As a compromise, you could suggest shorter trips or more relaxed nature walks at least a few times that you could accompany them on. Naturalists love to have a companion alongside them, and they should be willing to compromise by planning outings with you that are a little more reasonable.
"Ohhh, what's this?" An adventure is always a few footsteps away when you're on a date with a naturalist! Be prepared for an unexpected outdoor adventure at any given time. Whenever you go out with a naturalist, be prepared for him or her to grab you by the hand and pull you into a garden, woodland, nature trail or other wild place. Even during so called "urban hikes" you might end up somehow chasing a dragonfly through a field or sniffing every flower in a garden. Be sure to bring a water bottle with you and perhaps some sunscreen or bug spray, because a naturalist's adventure will happen rain or shine and warm or cold.
"It's the end of the world!" Although in the workplace naturalists assume a positive attitude when working with school groups or the public, behind closed doors they can be outspoken bleeding hearts and even sometimes outright pessimists. Let's face it, the world is filled with pressing environmental problems ranging from global warming, loss of biodiversity, pollution, invasive species, citizen apathy and reduced government budgets. It's easy for a naturalist to become vulnerable to a consistent "doom and gloom" mentality. This is where you, their romantic partner, can step in and remind them of the good work that they do. Ask them to imagine how much worse things would be if the world did not have naturalists like them teaching others about environmental stewardship. And remind them that one of the reasons you love and care about them is because of their passion and good work. Remind your naturalist that you are here for them too and that you want them to be happy.
"Nothing ever changes, I'm not making enough of a difference!"
Naturalists are often ambitious professionals with a mission to save the world, and a such they can be vulnerable to a burn out, which might not always make your Friday nights the most cheerful one. Change comes slowly, and it might be surprising to know that you only need to petition to about 5-10% of the general population to adjust their behavior in order to move change forward, according to various social research experts. While naturalists have their work cut out for them, all of them have the ability to reach out to enough people to make a significant impact on protecting the environment. So tell your naturalist to cheer up and enjoy the time that you have together now! And enough rants about invasive species already! Sometimes it can be nice to just stop and smell the roses, regardless if they are the invasive Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) or the native Pasture Rose (R. carolina).
There's nothing more exotic or romantic than dating a naturalist! You will never get bored, and you'll see and learn about things you never imagined! So on your next evening out admiring moths, be sure to slow down and take some time to admire each other before you embark on your next journey through the brush.
Comments
Post a Comment