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Journey to the Heart of Nature
excerpt from First Visit: Choosing and Exploring Your Area

There’s a treasure I’d like to share with you, one that is hidden at the heart of nature. To find it, you’ll need a special place outdoors where you can be alone and feel free; a place where you can see animals, hear a bird’s song, and feel the wind. Perhaps you already know of such a place. If not, you’ll have a chance later on as you read this book to discover one. As you explore your area, you’ll have many adventures, like the ones I had when my own journey began…

When I was a young boy growing up in northern California, I had a special place. I was seven years old when I discovered it, still much too young to go there by myself. Fortunately, one day the animals from my special place came and visited me instead.

I was playing alone on a cold, foggy morning when I heard a startling series of “whouks!” approaching through the air. I peered intently through the thick fog, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mystery birds that were making the sound.
Seconds passed and the bird cries got louder. They were approaching in a direction that would take them right over my head! I could hear their wings slapping close above, when all of a sudden a big flock of pearl-white Snow Geese burst through the fog. It was almost as if the sky had created them. For five or six wonderful seconds I could see their sleek and graceful forms—then they disappeared in the fog again. Their fading calls seemed to be saying, “Follow us! Follow us!”

Some years later, when I was old enough to follow my bird visitors, I discovered that they lived in the nearby marshes and grain fields. Over the years, I had many chances t go out and observe them.

I remember days at the marsh when the sky was filled with fast—flying ducks and V-shaped strings of clamoring geese. I discovered a place where I could sit hidden in the tall grass at sunset and watch hundreds of ducks and geese pass just over my head. I saw other birds, too: cranes, hawks, shorebirds, and sometimes, even pelicans. Once, I found a heron caught in an animal trap and was able to set it free.

One day, I dressed in old pants and shoes and walked out to the wildest area of the marsh. Suddenly, there was a roar like thunder, as thousands of geese trembled in a huge flock and flapped hard to build speed for a takeoff, then erupted into the air and darkened the sky with their bodies. Meanwhile, far ahead, skimming over the cattails, countless flocks of ducks were crisscrossing in every direction.

I hurried into the water, hardly feeling the winter cold. When the moonless night fell and blended my presence into its darkness, the ducks flew very close. Whirs, shuffles, and whistles passed my ears—exciting!—and ducks landed all around splashing raindrops.

I sensed a presence overhead and looked up. Hovering just above me was a Great Horned Owl. Seeing me with just my head sticking out of the water, she was trying to decide whether I was something good to eat! Meanwhile, ducks paddled all around, many of them coming so close that I could have reached out and touched them. Later, while I was standing very still in shallow water, one little duck swam nonchalantly between my legs.

The experience was so magical that I completely forgot about myself and the cold. For two or three hours I waded silently from one duck pond to another, using my hands and ears to guide me through the blackness of the night.

Over the years, that very special evening would be followed by many other adventures. At those special times, I discovered how much joy I could feel from being in direct contact with nature. My love for the marshes grew until I felt a great love for all of the natural world.

In my travel, I’ve found that every part of nature has its own unique gifts to share. Sometimes those gifts are dramatic—like my experience with the water birds at the marsh. At other times, they’re as quiet as a butterfly landing gently on a flower.

Somewhere near you is a special place where you can have your own experiences of nature’s wonders. To help you with your explorations, this book is divided into five sections (“visits”), each one with its own set of stories and things to do.

In Visit One, you’ll discover and explore your own special place in nature.

In Visit Two, you’ll meet the plants and animals that live there.

Visit Three will help you become aware of the quiet, hidden aspects of nature at your site.

In Visit Four, you’ll explore ways to care for your special place. You’ll also have a chance to share your discoveries with a friend.

Finally, in visit Five you’ll stay overnight at your special place, or spend the evening and early morning hours there.

As you read the stories and try the activities, you’ll develop a connection with the place you’ve chosen. Through this connection, I believe you’ll begin to feel a great love for the earth and a kinship with the animals and plants that live there. I call this experience “touching the heart of nature.” To have this experience, it’s important that you spend time by yourself out in nature—listening, watching, and waiting for those special times that so few people know because they lack the patience to wait for them.

While hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, I stopped to rest in a forest clearing where the brush under the trees had been cleared away. The silence made me feel that there might not be any animals living nearby. But I knew that animals hide when they hear humans coming, so I decided to sit quietly and see what would happen.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, my patience was rewarded. Thirty feet from where I sat, two pine martens poked their heads out of their den. (Pine martens are weasels, about the same size as a small domestic cat. They have long, bushy tails and are very quick.)

The martens were young, just a few months old, and they were very curious. At first, they were afraid to leave the safety of their den. But after peering around cautiously, they soon lost their fear and began wrestling and chasing in a wild, playful romp. Now and then, they’d stop to investigate some mysterious new object.

One marten finally noticed me, and with curiosity overcoming caution, came slowly forward to find out what I was. The other young marten followed, then stopped and stared intently from a few feet away. Meanwhile, the brave and inquisitive one came right up and sniffed my leg.

Mother marten, who’d been busy elsewhere, returned and was dismayed to see her children so close to a human being. She rushed forward and, barking “Come home at once!” herded her frightened children back to the den.

I was very moved by the trust of the young martens and by the joy I felt while I looked into their beautiful, innocent, curious eyes. I’m sure I was the first human they’d ever seen. Their lack of fear touched my heart and made our meeting memorable. I would have missed the experience if I hadn’t stopped to sit quietly until I became part of their world.

Copyright Joseph Cornell All Rights Reserved

HOW TO ORDER:
All Sharing Nature Products are now available through secure online ordering.
Or call toll free to order through Inner Path at 866-665-7765

In the United Kingdom you can order our books from Deep Books, ltd.
Contact: David Birkett, david@deep-books.co.uk

Joseph Cornell's books are currently available in the following foreign languages: Chinese, Danish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Slovene, Spanish, and Thai.

Excerpts from Journey to the Heart of Nature

Table of Contents

First Visit: Choosing and Exploring Your Area

Third Visit: Getting Close to Nature

Fourth Visit: Caring for Your Site

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Sharing Nature Foundation
14618 Tyler Foote Rd.
Nevada City, CA 95959
530-478-7650
e-mail: info@sharingnature.com

			Home Flow Learning ™ Nature Activities Programs Calendar of Events Sharing Nature Worldwide Country Coordinators Joseph Cornell Books and Resources Connections and More Information
	Journey to the Heart of Nature excerpt from First Visit: Choosing and Exploring Your Area
	There’s a treasure I’d like to share with you, one that is hidden at the heart of nature. To find it, you’ll need a special place outdoors where you can be alone and feel free; a place where you can see animals, hear a bird’s song, and feel the wind. Perhaps you already know of such a place. If not, you’ll have a chance later on as you read this book to discover one. As you explore your area, you’ll have many adventures, like the ones I had when my own journey began… When I was a young boy growing up in northern California, I had a special place. I was seven years old when I discovered it, still much too young to go there by myself. Fortunately, one day the animals from my special place came and visited me instead. I was playing alone on a cold, foggy morning when I heard a startling series of “whouks!” approaching through the air. I peered intently through the thick fog, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mystery birds that were making the sound. Seconds passed and the bird cries got louder. They were approaching in a direction that would take them right over my head! I could hear their wings slapping close above, when all of a sudden a big flock of pearl-white Snow Geese burst through the fog. It was almost as if the sky had created them. For five or six wonderful seconds I could see their sleek and graceful forms—then they disappeared in the fog again. Their fading calls seemed to be saying, “Follow us! Follow us!” Some years later, when I was old enough to follow my bird visitors, I discovered that they lived in the nearby marshes and grain fields. Over the years, I had many chances t go out and observe them. I remember days at the marsh when the sky was filled with fast—flying ducks and V-shaped strings of clamoring geese. I discovered a place where I could sit hidden in the tall grass at sunset and watch hundreds of ducks and geese pass just over my head. I saw other birds, too: cranes, hawks, shorebirds, and sometimes, even pelicans. Once, I found a heron caught in an animal trap and was able to set it free. One day, I dressed in old pants and shoes and walked out to the wildest area of the marsh. Suddenly, there was a roar like thunder, as thousands of geese trembled in a huge flock and flapped hard to build speed for a takeoff, then erupted into the air and darkened the sky with their bodies. Meanwhile, far ahead, skimming over the cattails, countless flocks of ducks were crisscrossing in every direction. I hurried into the water, hardly feeling the winter cold. When the moonless night fell and blended my presence into its darkness, the ducks flew very close. Whirs, shuffles, and whistles passed my ears—exciting!—and ducks landed all around splashing raindrops. I sensed a presence overhead and looked up. Hovering just above me was a Great Horned Owl. Seeing me with just my head sticking out of the water, she was trying to decide whether I was something good to eat! Meanwhile, ducks paddled all around, many of them coming so close that I could have reached out and touched them. Later, while I was standing very still in shallow water, one little duck swam nonchalantly between my legs. The experience was so magical that I completely forgot about myself and the cold. For two or three hours I waded silently from one duck pond to another, using my hands and ears to guide me through the blackness of the night. Over the years, that very special evening would be followed by many other adventures. At those special times, I discovered how much joy I could feel from being in direct contact with nature. My love for the marshes grew until I felt a great love for all of the natural world. In my travel, I’ve found that every part of nature has its own unique gifts to share. Sometimes those gifts are dramatic—like my experience with the water birds at the marsh. At other times, they’re as quiet as a butterfly landing gently on a flower. Somewhere near you is a special place where you can have your own experiences of nature’s wonders. To help you with your explorations, this book is divided into five sections (“visits”), each one with its own set of stories and things to do. In Visit One, you’ll discover and explore your own special place in nature. In Visit Two, you’ll meet the plants and animals that live there. Visit Three will help you become aware of the quiet, hidden aspects of nature at your site. In Visit Four, you’ll explore ways to care for your special place. You’ll also have a chance to share your discoveries with a friend. Finally, in visit Five you’ll stay overnight at your special place, or spend the evening and early morning hours there. As you read the stories and try the activities, you’ll develop a connection with the place you’ve chosen. Through this connection, I believe you’ll begin to feel a great love for the earth and a kinship with the animals and plants that live there. I call this experience “touching the heart of nature.” To have this experience, it’s important that you spend time by yourself out in nature—listening, watching, and waiting for those special times that so few people know because they lack the patience to wait for them. While hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, I stopped to rest in a forest clearing where the brush under the trees had been cleared away. The silence made me feel that there might not be any animals living nearby. But I knew that animals hide when they hear humans coming, so I decided to sit quietly and see what would happen. After fifteen minutes of waiting, my patience was rewarded. Thirty feet from where I sat, two pine martens poked their heads out of their den. (Pine martens are weasels, about the same size as a small domestic cat. They have long, bushy tails and are very quick.) The martens were young, just a few months old, and they were very curious. At first, they were afraid to leave the safety of their den. But after peering around cautiously, they soon lost their fear and began wrestling and chasing in a wild, playful romp. Now and then, they’d stop to investigate some mysterious new object. One marten finally noticed me, and with curiosity overcoming caution, came slowly forward to find out what I was. The other young marten followed, then stopped and stared intently from a few feet away. Meanwhile, the brave and inquisitive one came right up and sniffed my leg. Mother marten, who’d been busy elsewhere, returned and was dismayed to see her children so close to a human being. She rushed forward and, barking “Come home at once!” herded her frightened children back to the den. I was very moved by the trust of the young martens and by the joy I felt while I looked into their beautiful, innocent, curious eyes. I’m sure I was the first human they’d ever seen. Their lack of fear touched my heart and made our meeting memorable. I would have missed the experience if I hadn’t stopped to sit quietly until I became part of their world. Copyright Joseph Cornell All Rights Reserved HOW TO ORDER: All Sharing Nature Products are now available through secure online ordering. Or call toll free to order through Inner Path at 866-665-7765 In the United Kingdom you can order our books from Deep Books, ltd. Contact: David Birkett, david@deep-books.co.uk Joseph Cornell's books are currently available in the following foreign languages: Chinese, Danish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Slovene, Spanish, and Thai.
	Excerpts from Journey to the Heart of Nature Table of Contents First Visit: Choosing and Exploring Your Area Third Visit: Getting Close to Nature Fourth Visit: Caring for Your Site

	\| Flow Learning™ \| Nature Activities \| Programs \| Calendar of Events \| \| Sharing Nature Worldwide \| Country Coordinators \| Joseph Cornell \| \| Books and Resources \| Connections and More Information \| Mailing List Sharing Nature Foundation 14618 Tyler Foote Rd. Nevada City, CA 95959 530-478-7650 e-mail: info@sharingnature.com