News  New Year’s resolutions that help you connect with nature

Try these goals for 2024:

Spend more time outdoors
Spending time in nature has been shown to reduce stress and have a positive impact on both your physical and mental health. Clocking more time outside can be as simple as taking a quick walk around your neighborhood, visiting local parks, or by doing some daily tasks outdoors. For example, you can try exercising, eating your lunch, and taking phone calls outside. You don’t need to hike for hours to experience the physical and mental benefits of getting outdoors – take a break and head outside!

Explore more in 2024
With beaches, wetlands, forests, mountains, and more, break out of your normal routine and explore a new place in Massachusetts. MassWildlife manages nearly 230,000 acres of Wildlife Management Areas that provide habitat for wildlife and give people a place to explore natural landscapes (there are no maintained trails). WMAs are open to the public for hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, hiking, wildlife photography, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and other passive recreation. Use MassWildlife’s Lands Viewer to find a property near you.

Try a new hobby
Broaden your horizons with a new hobby. Fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, and other outdoor recreation are great ways to connect with nature and learn a new skill. MassWildlife has resources to help you get started.

• Get started with wildlife viewing. You don’t have to travel far to experience the impressive variety of Massachusetts Wildlife. Check out these wildlife viewing tips and tools or get started birding this year with 5 must-read tips for bird watching in winter.
• Gain a deeper appreciation for Massachusetts wildlife by learning to identify animal tracks. Use MassWildlife’s animal track card as a guide to tracks you find in the snow or mud this winter.
• Learn how to fish! Bookmark MassWildlife’s Angler Education calendar to find a freshwater fishing class near you—classes will be added throughout the year. You can also learn fishing on your own using these online learning resources. Don’t forget your 2024 Freshwater Fishing License.
• Learn to be a safe and ethical hunter with MassWildlife’s Hunter Education Program. Visit the program web page to learn about course offerings and what’s required to get started hunting in the Commonwealth.

Be a wildlife ambassador
Help your local wildlife by preventing conflicts. Raccoons, coyotes, black bears, and other local wildlife get a bad reputation because of conflicts with people. Many of these conflicts occur because wild animals are attracted to neighborhoods by human-associated food sources like bird seed, unsecured trash, and pet food. Make a resolution to keep wildlife wild by removing these food sources and preventing conflicts with wildlife in your neighborhood.

Grow more native plants
Native plants are important in preserving the biodiversity of Massachusetts. They provide food for pollinators such as birds, bees, and butterflies and create habitat for our local wildlife. If you are new to gardening or don’t have the greenest of thumbs, native plants are also easier to maintain because they are adapted to our climate and conditions! Get started by choosing native plants based on the type of soil you have available.