There’s something about spending time outside in these temps—could it be genuine joy?

Last month, we shared 15 simple but mighty tips for getting outside this winter. We hope you’re out there enjoying the cold season in the great outdoors (or in your own backyard)!

Today, our team is sharing 15 more tips for getting outside even when you’re not exactly feeling it 🥶 From learning about wildlife to changing up your WFH routine to strengthening your health, spending time outside when the temps are low is delightful in its own way!

15 more ways to have a freezin’ good time this winter:

1. Pick a new podcast. Need even more motivation to get your outdoor exercise? Try the practice of habit bundling—where you only let yourself take part in a rewarding habit (say, listening to a podcast or audiobook) if you pair it with something you’re struggling to do (say, going for a jog). These best climate change podcasts and essential wildlife and environmental podcasts have us sprinting out the door.

2. Keep learning. Why not use the time spent outside to learn something new (and genuinely useful)? Take a course on backcountry navigation or wilderness first aid, or finally learn how to cross-country ski while checking a new year’s resolution off your list!

3. Recreate responsibly. Follow these rules from the winter edition of the #RecreateResponsibly guidelines, and the outdoors will be a safer, more welcoming, positive, and inclusive place for everyone.

4. Do a walking meditation. Movement keeps you warmer—it’s a fact. While sitting quietly by a babbling brook or lying in the sun might not be comfortable in the cold, you can still find peace in the outdoors by engaging in a mindful, walking meditation.

5. Sip a local brew. If you’ve already caught on to the joys of hanging out around a fire pit this winter, mix it up by choosing beers, wines, spirits, kombuchas, or sodas that were brewed in our region with Potomac River water. It’s a great way to support local businesses, try new flavors, and stay connected to the river. Try making a hot toddy with a whiskey from one of these local distilleries.

6. Take advantage of the least crowded season. January and February are relatively slower months when it comes to local trails. If there was a dream destination where you just couldn’t find parking this summer, now’s the time to go.

7. Learn to recognize animal tracks. Snow (and the mud that comes after snow) is a great medium for capturing animal tracks—which means you can feel close to wildlife even if they bound out of sight. Use this guide to either test yourself and hone your tracking skills, or just try to see how many different types of tracks you can spot in a single hike.

8. Work out like an Olympian. Can’t wait for paddle season? Try these training routines from world-class athletes: Strength train inside (and dream of the river) like gold-medal canoe slalom champion Joe Clarke, or take your cardio outdoors like Team USA kayaker Tim Hornsby.

9. Tend to your winter garden. Yes, you can garden in winter (you can even grow food). In fact, there’s a lot to do to prepare for spring. Here are some projects you can do in your winter garden to help wildlife survive the cold.

10. Make a homegrown soup. We know you’ll probably do your cooking indoors, but these tips will help you choose local produce and seafood that benefits our local businesses and environment. And all you need to take a warming winter dish on a picnic is some good, reusable campware.

11. Take a meeting outside. Missing talking to your co-workers not through a Zoom window? If they live nearby, head outside for a productive walk-and-talk while soaking in fresh air and sunlight all at once.

12. Work on your tree ID skills. Spend some time inside with a hot drink and local tree identification chart (check out these Virginia and Maryland-specific ones), then go outside and test yourself. You’ll be more than prepared to volunteer at our next seed collection event!

13. Stay warm… sustainably. Name a nicer way to spend a morning than taking a walk with a warm beverage in your hands and hand warmers in your pockets. Reduce waste by choosing a reusable, insulated mug that will keep your coffee hot, and these reusable hand warmers that will keep you cozy for many winters ahead.

14. Keep peeing. You heard us. One of the *number one* ways to keep your body temperature up during a long outdoor excursion is to relieve yourself regularly, because a full bladder can make you colder. (This doesn’t mean you should stop drinking—hydrating in the winter is as important as ever.)

15. Know the signs of spring. 🌱 So you’ve read all of our other winter tips, and you’re still adamantly a warm weather person. That’s OK. There’s nothing like winter to help you appreciate the dawning of spring. Start taking note of the subtle ways our little piece of Earth changes from day to day as it travels around the Sun. Whether through your window or on (reluctant) walks, look for the shifting quality of light in the evening and the ground slowly softening from frost to mud. Listen for the choruses of frog calls in the evening as they start their breeding season and for how the morning bird song strengthens. Watch for the vees of geese heading back north and the first daffodils to break the ground. Spring is really only a few weeks away!

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