Noticing magic moments outdoors

This article follows on from a webinar in March 2021, linked to the IOL Spirituality in Outdoor Learning sig, which explored concepts including the importance of open space, for time to listen e.g. to bird song, to notice e.g. light through leaves, to 'come out of ourselves', to be rather than to do, for peace and self-care. We talked about a sense of connectedness and being part of something bigger than the world of only humans, and of looking at detail: how the act of 'zoning in'/ of noticing may help people connect and appreciate the differences between plants. Some spoke of finding time to get ‘out of your worries’, of how seeing the bigger picture can bring perspective, a sense of place and belonging. We all spoke of memorable, magic or troublesome moments – those times that stick in our minds. We considered some of the value-laden words that we use, for example: noticing, magic, craft, mindful/ness, holding-space, listening, nature, outside. In this article, I move the discussion on to focus on: • The concept and practice of noticing, how we can enable and support others to notice and see things they might normally miss • Magic/memorable moments, including the un/planned and un/expected • How we can draw on this in research and practice.