It’s about you.

You prefer wild places to cities and noise. The wind roaring in the pines or waves thundering on the beach quicken your senses. You feel a peace steal over you when you’re outside, and you delight in learning about nature.

You may work in a cubicle, but you like to walk outdoors at lunch and clear your mind. Some of your fondest memories are camping trips with friends and family, and hiking, biking or fishing.

You notice extraordinary sunsets and sometimes pull the car over just to savor them.

If it’s a gorgeous day, you almost feel guilty for staying inside. And you know it’s important for your kids to spend time outdoors getting vitamin D and vitamin N (nature).

You remember those nights you’ve seen the stars, unencumbered by city lights, with the Milky Way spangling across the heavens. Seeing the northern lights might be on your bucket list.

It matters to you how clean the air you breathe is. You don’t take it for granted clean water to play and bathe in. You want to safeguard these privileges.

This is your tribe and these are your people.

And, it’s about me.

I drive around and look at the boats out at sea, or the farmers working their land and wonder, “What’s it like to have those jobs? What’s it like to spend most of your days outdoors and so in tune with nature?”

I muse about national park guides, falconers, ranchers, veterinarians, estate gardeners and all sorts of people I’m sure lead fascinating lives that I could learn from. Are their lives as magical and bucolic as I imagine? Do they have a different view on life than the rest of us? What are the downsides of their lifestyles? What stories could they tell?

In this climate of depressing reports (Starving polar bears! Plastic in the oceans!) I want to turn from the tsunami of negative news and focus on what’s wonderful about our world.

One can only consume so much bleak information before catatonic hopelessness sets in.

What do we all hold in common? What is beguiling, beautiful and beloved by almost everyone? (Our national parks, our beaches, the Grand Tetons, the vast prairies, New England fall color, a hawk on the wing, just to name a few).

Maybe if we heard from those on the front lines, those who spend most of their time outside, we would have a new appreciation for all that we hold dear. Maybe we could learn something from these people. Maybe while hearing their amazing stories, we could see life from a fresh perspective.

Maybe we could arouse out of out nature blindness and see what they see.

My aim is for you to fall in love with this gorgeous world of ours. I want you to notice this infinite storm of beauty that surrounds us.

I want you to pause as you scurry out to your car and notice the bird song around you.

I want you to step outside and step into wonder. I want you to fall in love with this outside life.

Listen to the podcast

Hear professional falconers, gardeners, naturalists and fishermen tell their stories about life outdoors.