How to Connect to Nature in Winter: Rest, Regenerate, and Rewild
- Jada Andersen
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
Winter is a season of rest, but that doesn’t mean staying indoors. Discover simple, powerful ways to connect with nature in winter and restore your mind, body, and spirit.
Winter is often seen as a time to retreat indoors, to slow down, hibernate, and stay warm. And rightly so. Winter invites rest, reflection, and regeneration. But connecting with nature doesn’t need to stop when the temperature drops. In fact, winter is one half of nature’s great polarity, a powerful counterbalance to summer’s expansion and activity. When we ignore it, we miss the lessons of stillness and resilience that winter offers.
Here are some gentle, inspiring ways to reconnect with nature in winter, without pushing against the season, but rather moving with it.
1. Embrace the Slow Outdoors
You don’t have to summit a mountain or brave icy winds to benefit from time outside. Even a 10-minute walk through a local park, bundled up in your coat, is enough to shift your mental state. Notice the bare branches, the soft morning fog, the smell of damp earth. Connecting to nature in winter is about presence, not performance.
Tip: Try a “sit spot” – find a tree, bench or rock where you can sit quietly for a few minutes each day. Return often and observe the changes.
2. Make Winter a Sensory Experience
Winter awakens different senses. Instead of vibrant colours and buzzing insects, we get subtle textures and quiet soundscapes. Listen for the crunch of frost underfoot or the hush of rain on leaves. Smell eucalyptus after a storm. Touch cold rocks or fallen bark, noticing their textures and temperatures.
By tuning into your senses, you become more attuned to the natural world — and more grounded in your body.
3. Follow Seasonal Rhythms
In nature, everything has a season — a time for growth, a time for rest. Winter isn’t about doing less because we’re lazy or unmotivated. It’s restorative by design. Following that rhythm doesn’t mean disconnecting from the outdoors — it means relating to it differently.
Ask yourself:
How can I observe more, rather than intervene?
What’s growing underground while the surface rests?
What personal “seeds” am I storing and preparing for spring?
4. Start a Winter Nature Journal
Tracking your experience of winter, even in small notes, helps deepen your connection to the season. You might jot down:
The date of the first fungi you saw
Bird species you notice in the colder months
Changes in sunrise and sunset times
How you feel in your body on crisp, cold days
Nature journaling is a powerful way to connect to place, even in quiet seasons. Pair it with a thermos of tea and you have a ritual worth repeating.
5. Get Involved in Winter Citizen Science
Winter is a great time to become a citizen scientist. You can contribute valuable data to conservation projects while deepening your own connection to the outdoors.
Some examples include:
iNaturalist: Log fungi, birds or insects you find
Australian Bird Count: Help track seasonal movements of native species
Citizen science keeps your nature connection active, while also supporting meaningful environmental work.
6. Rewild Your Routine
Even if you spend most of your winter days indoors, you can bring nature closer to your daily life:
Keep native plants or flowers on your desk
Use beeswax candles and natural scents
Eat seasonally and locally where you can
Decorate your space with natural materials like gum leaves, seedpods or driftwood
Each of these small acts is a thread and together they weave you back into relationship with the Earth.
Final Thoughts: Nature Doesn’t Pause, It Shifts
Winter isn’t a void, it’s a different kind of fullness. When we take time to connect with nature in winter, we align with ancient rhythms that have always guided life. We remember that growth doesn’t always look like blooming. Sometimes, it looks like rest, resilience, and quiet preparation.
So yes, sleep a little longer, read by the fire, move slowly. But don’t forget to step outside, look up, breathe in. Nature is still there, waiting to meet you, even in the cold.
Want more nature connection practices, citizen science projects, or wild adventures? Join a Conserventures experience and sign up to our newsletter for monthly nature inspiration.
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