Birds, Bugs & Beyond – Discovering Nature

Are you one of those people who hears a bird singing its heart out and thinks, “That’s beautiful… but what the heck is it?”

Or perhaps you’d like to tell a white pine from an oak without waiting for someone else to tell you?

And, ideally, recognize poison ivy before it recognizes you?

Well, a group of yogis decided it was time to find out.

On a beautiful sunny Saturday in September, 20 yogis gathered at the Health Valley Trail in St. Jacobs for a guided nature walk.

Our guide was David Gascoigne (Travels with Birds), a well-known bird expert from the Waterloo region who has led countless walks and given numerous engaging presentations. Birds are his specialty, but David knows his way around pretty much everything nature-related – plants, trees, insects and all the other little things most of us walk straight past without noticing.

And after about an hour and a half with David, we were definitely noticing.

We learned how to identify a white pine, why turkey vultures can travel for miles without flapping their wings, and why milkweed is so important for monarch butterflies.

And then there was the Killdeer.

One of these little birds was patiently sitting on a rock in the water, apparently quite happy to pose for our group. For once, wildlife photography required neither a telephoto lens nor a lot of patience. The bird was basically saying, “Go ahead. Have a good look.”

David had everyone listening with great interest. He doesn’t just know a lot about nature – he knows how to tell a great story. Somehow, even a fly can become absolutely fascinating when David starts talking about it. Who knew?

After the nature walk, we had a short sit-down before heading off for a stroll through the village of St. Jacobs. This time, I was in charge, and I pointed out a few interesting sights and attractions that you might easily miss – including some things you probably wouldn’t find anywhere else in Canada.

And, of course, no good outing is complete without food.

We finished the day with lunch at a local restaurant, where we could relax, chat, and presumably recover from all that serious nature education.

Nature, curiosity and good food – a full workout for the senses.