Forest Jam for your Nature Itch

from the comfort of your device

Among my favorite ways to be in the world is nature exploration. Not the hard-core variety that pushes one to dizzying heights, involves the pursuit of crossing inhospitable territories, or anything demanding extra-human skills and training. I’m basic. I’m all about the chill stroll through mossy, fern-adorned forests;  meandering amongst multi-hued dessert sandscapes; frolicking through floral strewn meadows or rambling across rolling fields (but seriously, not too steep). In a pinch I’ll amble beside the sea or follow some wind-swept cliffs. But I feel no need to prove any sort of physical prowess or push myself to extremes, except to trundle along for hours soaking up the world. After mile six I start obsessively fantasizing about ice cream; after mile ten, my fantasies shift to the mere act of sitting.

I also recognize that all sorts of things prohibit us from being out in nature—everything from proximity, availability, ability, transportation, weather, and health, to name a few.  That doesn’t mean we can’t experience the joy and calm that nature affords us—in little bites, every day.

I went on a quest to find as many ways as possible to bring nature to you. Yes, plants are great, but for reals, a house full of plants is still not a forest.

So, no matter what your landscape jam, I think I have something that might scratch your nature itch.

Sounds:

I tested out a lot of apps. I’m a big fan of Taomix2. I bought it way back when buy-in was only a few dollars so found myself grandfathered in to the service. Now it’s a subscription at something crazy like $8 per week, so, don’t do that.

The White Noise lite app for iOS or Android is way more than just white noise. They have around 50 different soundscapes. In the water department there’s rain—light, heavy, extreme, on a tent, metal, car or lake—waterfalls, waves, brooks, sprinklers, and showers. Animal noises include birds, cats, frogs, and crickets. Under general nature you’ll find campfire, wind, jungle, evening lake. And a whole array of machines in the wild, like hair dryers, dishwashers, cars, airplanes, trains,  vacuums, and grandfather clocks. You can create a layered mix which will play endlessly. For a mere 99¢ you can upgrade to the ad-free version.

I’m also a huge fan of Birdsong.fm and RSPB Birdsong Radio, both of which stream birdsong for your enjoyment.

If you’ve never spent part of your day listening to nature sounds, I invite you to try it. It saves having to pick a playlist, and as background noise, it’s cheery and joy inducing without interfering with your thoughts.

Sights:

If you’d like something more visual, head to YouTube. There are thousands of nature videos. I checked out a not insignificant number. This is one of my faves: a three hour walk through an autumnal forest in Washington State. Check out the whole 4K Relaxation Channel, they have hundreds of beautiful and well-produced nature videos. Some are set to music while others have high-quality recording of the sounds of the space, including bugs, birds, rustling leaves, and water.

Can we please stop showing news and sports 24/7 in airports, hospitals and waiting areas and just show this stuff, please?

Do you have a secret nature stash you dive into when you can’t get your real-life fix? Please share it with me.