“Dress warmly and wear something you don’t mind getting wet,” my dad said one morning. My dad was taking us hunting for the wild asparagus. I had read a bit about asparagus and I had eaten asparagus but hunting for asparagus was a new experience.

The memory of hunting it is one I won’t ever forget. We had friends who had a small boat and they arranged for us to join them and boat through the salt marshes off the Massachusetts coast. We spent the day searching for small plots of wild asparagus and harvesting them. It was a sunny but chilly day; few of us made it back dry but the memories were indelible, and we spent the afternoon eating grilled fresh asparagus and swapping tall tales of our exploits.

It is important to learn about nature and where the food you eat comes from. One of the best ways to learn is to take opportunities to go and experience it firsthand. Nature is closer than you think, often just outside your backdoor. Take time to explore your surroundings; you may be surprised at what you find.

Part two of a four part series on nature.

Part 1 – The Tonic of Wildness
Part 2 – The Hunt for Wild Asparagus
Part 3 – Water, Water, Everywhere
Part 4 – The Call of the Wild: Teaching Kids to Love Nature