Heart of the Lakes
  • HOME
    • Board and Staff
    • Members and Friends
    • Strategic Vision
    • FAQ
  • News
    • Events
    • Protected Lands
  • People & Place
    • History of MI Conservation
    • Land Conservancies
    • Find Your Conservancy
    • Landowner Options
    • Community Building
  • Tools
    • Michigan Model
    • Funding/Partnership Options >
      • Michigan DNR
      • MI Dept. of Agriculture
  • Initiatives
    • Taking Action // The Path Ahead
    • Places Create Stories
    • protectMI
    • Passion & Purpose
    • Getting Outside During a Pandemic
    • Farmland Preservation
  • Adventure Hub

Advice from Dogs on Pursuing an Outdoor Life.

12/28/2021

 
Dogs naturally live in the moment — unburdened from the everyday minutiae their outlook is simple; eat, drink, sleep and play. But arguably, they probably look most forward to adventuring with us. There's a reason we have to spell out "W-A-L-K" because they instinctively know that word directly correlates with being outdoors. Dogs are the best adventure buddies because they know the hype and receive the same influx of endorphins when they step outside. So that got us wondering, if dogs could talk, what would they say about living your best outdoor life? 

We recruited the help of the dogs from Heart of the Lakes to share a "loose" interpretation of what this advice might be. Hit the plus signs (+) to see what they have to say!
​
Picture
Picture
Bark loudly for the places you love.
Despite a cool demeanor, Beau likes action. Running for miles along the trails and alerting his hooman to the sounds and scents he encounters along the way. Beau is most content outside in the fresh air, where he feels most wild and free.

If Beau could talk, we'd reckoned that he'd tell you to bark loudly for the places you love - because the outdoors is one giant playground, so why wouldn't you protect where you play?

Hooman: Jonathan J.
Favorite Open Space: Riverview Natural Area
Picture
find your stick.
Or, in Jack's case, the bigger, the better. Be curious and confident when finding your outdoor niche. It can be as relaxing as watching the birds or as exciting as hanging your head off the side of a boat. Whatever your adventure style, Jack says to stick with it and remember you can always find a bigger and juicier adventure when you're outside.

Hooman: Janet B.
Favorite Open Space: St. Johns Marsh
Picture
follow the scent.
Smells can trigger our memories. For Watson and Lily, having a full snout bank reminds them of the places they've been — forever connecting that specific scent with a location. Whether you flare your nostrils upwards or point them low to the ground, exploring new places keeps the memory collection going.

Hooman: Ginny L.
Favorite Open Space: Border to Border Trail
Picture
Bask in the sun.
Once a day, the sun will move into perfect position over your favorite spot, and when that happens, take Mulligan's approach and bask in it! The time is right for only a short period, take it all in while you can and look forward to repeating it all over tomorrow.

Hooman: Pete D.
Favorite Open Space: Hoffmaster State Park
Picture
take the path less traveled.
You can explore open spaces everywhere and some have more hooman traffic than others. Though he does enjoy the hooman interactions, Doc prefers to find the less popular places to recreate responsibly. Fewer distractions and more room to roam can make all the difference in enjoying the outdoors.

Hooman: Brad J.
Favorite Open Space: Huron Lake Shoreline
Picture
Get your tail wagging.
The outdoors is exciting, especially when you're going somewhere or trying something new. Honey encourages you not to fight it and let your tail wag wild! This is your own experience, don't let bystanders diminish the swiftness of your tail.

Hooman: Anne F.
Favorite Open Space: North Country Trail
Picture
Start 'em young.
It's never too early to introduce the littles to the outdoors. Even if they tend to eat anything they find on the ground like Daisy. We can learn so much from the outdoors — about ourselves and the natural environments around us.

Growing up with an appreciation for the outdoors develops us into better stewards and defenders of the outdoors.

Hooman: Steve M.
Favorite Open Space: Clay Cliffs
Save the snaptweet.
Whenever Sherman and Radar are outside, their only focus is what's around them. They don't know what Snapchat or Twitter is — instead, they wonder why your attention is on the device in your hand rather than immersing yourself in the sites, sounds and smells surrounding you. Take the picture, return to the moment and save the post for later.

As the hoomans might say, don't let FOMO take over, or something like that!

Hooman: Chris B.
Favorite Open Space: Cashion Lake


Picture
Bark when it counts.
Take it from Lexi, learning a new skill takes time and patience. You won't be an avid fisherman when you bark at the fish before the hook sets. Put your hours in and learn from others — then before you know it, you'll understand to bark as soon as that fish catches the line.

Hooman: Janet B.
Favorite Open Space: St. Johns Marsh


Picture
Welcome everyone.
The outdoors looks different for everyone and how you enjoy nature may not be the same for another. Leroy happily welcomes all to his play domain (the more the merrier if it were up to him!), but if your not into chasing and peanut butter kongs, he will respect your interests.

There's room for everyone outdoors — whether you're a dog, cat, big hooman, tiny hooman or even a chicken.

Hooman: Ross H.
Favorite Open Space: Boardman Lake Trail


Picture
Always Be Ready.
Adventures can come when you least expect it (and according to Schuyler — so can treats from the UPS hooman!). Keep your ears perked and remember that no adventure is too big or too small if you're always ready for a challenge.

Hooman: Pete D.
Favorite Open Space: Hoffmaster State Park


Picture
Be a good steward.
There's always time for fun, but there's also time to keep where we play exactly how we found it. Hudson would never leave his toy floating in Lake Michigan (c'mon, that defeats the whole purpose of fetch!). As thrilling as it is to find another's left behind toy, Hudson knows it's better to leave no trace — especially when you come across those smelly doggie bags.

Hooman: Tom N.
Favorite Open Space: Palmer Woods


Picture
Embrace your puppy.
The outdoors has the power to turn up a frown and make us feel young. Even the lowkey Zeke can find his inner puppy when he steps outside. It might take a few sniffs, but once that fresh air hits — it's on!

Hooman: Anne F.
Favorite Open Space: North Country Trail


Picture
take a break.
And take your time to stop and smell the flowers (and bush, tree — maybe that pole too). Everything moves so fast around us, so Greps likes to take his time, observe and appreciate the little things you find along the trail. The rush of every day can wait and sometimes so can the rest of the walk. So find a bench and take an extra break!

Hooman: Andrea L.
Favorite Open Space: Quarton Lake Trail



Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    Accreditation
    Advocacy
    Agriculture
    Conservation Easement
    Conservation Hero
    Executive Director
    Farm Bill
    Farmland Preservation
    Heart Of The Lakes
    Jobs
    Land Conservancies
    Michigan
    Outdoor Economy
    Outreach
    Position Closed
    Tax Benefits

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    May 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    June 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    April 2013

    RSS Feed


Heart of the Lakes strengthens the collective efforts of organizations dedicated to the conservation of Michigan’s environmentally and economically significant land and water. We provide leadership, innovative ideas, and advocate for smart public policy for the benefit of our communities and for generations to come.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Heart of the Lakes
PO Box 1128
Bay City, MI  48706
Heart of the Lakes is a statewide organization that concentrates and strengthens the efforts of Michigan’s land conservation community. Founded by Michigan’s land conservancies, Heart of the Lakes does what no individual organization can do on its own-- unites them under the common goal of protecting Michigan’s land. 

BACK TO TOP

Heart of the Lakes
P.O. Box 1128 Bay City, MI  48706
989-292-3582

© DivTag Templates Ltd | All Rights Reserved