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Fundingsland: What’s with this outdoor stuff?

A lot of people are finding their own answer to that question as of late. I think a lot more will be in the coming days too.

While the coronavirus pandemic and resulting social distancing is impacting everyone’s lives, more and more people are turning to the outdoors as an outlet during these times of uncertainty. Many are discovering what they have been missing or have not fully understood. For those who love the outdoors beyond the sidewalks of the city, it is different too.

I’ve always appreciated what the outdoors has to offer. Others have too. How can you not appreciate it when feeling the welcome warmth of the morning sun or witnessing the enchanting colors of a prairie sunset. And there’s always something special about this time of year in North Dakota.

It is a time when new life emerges from the ground, migrating birds fill the sky and swarm into fields and open water, and countless songbirds returning from their winter absence announce their presence with a musician’s precision.

During this COVID-19 outbreak, with its constant barrage of unpleasant news, endless dismal statistics and disheartening pictures, even those who have always had an appreciation for the outdoors are looking at their surroundings in an entirely new way. Their vision is broader. Their hearing keener. They don’t want to miss what they previously might have been taking for granted.

You don’t have to be a hunter of fishermen to enjoy the outdoors. Anyone can, and now is the perfect time to discover what you and your family may have been missing. There’s more than 200 Game and Fish Wildlife Management areas that you can explore while practicing the proper social distancing.

As ice continues to deteriorate and disappear there will be more and more opportunities for shore fishing. Every hour spent outdoors is one less hour indoors during this trying time for all of us.

I’ve noticed an increase in people getting outdoors for hikes and mini-adventures. If there’s any good news in this coronavirus business, it can be found in watching families enjoying the outdoors.

So what’s with all this outdoor stuff?

Find out. Make time for the outdoors. Experience it. Learn from it. Appreciate it. Now is the perfect time to get reacquainted with what our outdoors has to offer.

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