Welcome. I’m Arthur Winslow, and I built It’s Nature because I kept running into the same quiet truth: you do not have to travel far to find a world worth paying attention to. The most surprising wildlife I’ve ever watched has often been within a few steps of my back door, in a suburban yard that looks ordinary until you sit still long enough for it to introduce itself.
When I was younger, I used to daydream about distant national parks, sweeping overlooks, and heroic hikes. I assumed that was where nature truly lived. Meanwhile, the real dramas were unfolding right under the porch light and along the fence line: ants mapping invisible roads, crab spiders waiting like pale petals for a careless fly, and dandelions keeping time with the season as faithfully as any calendar.
That is the heart of this site, and the phrase I come back to often: notice more in your own patch.
How a small yard grew bigger
I grew up in a standard neighborhood, the kind with familiar lawns and predictable shrubs. My early relationship with the outdoors was a little restless. I wanted the grand version of nature, the postcard version. But one summer, out of equal parts boredom and curiosity, I started keeping a field journal. Not anything fancy, just a notebook and a willingness to look closely.
It changed the way I saw everything. I started documenting insect behavior in the margins of everyday life: which flowers drew the busiest traffic, how different wasps carried their burdens, when the first aphids appeared, and which lady beetles arrived shortly after. I tracked seasonal weed cycles and noticed patterns that felt almost like storytelling. And little by little, I began cultivating microhabitats, not as a grand landscaping project, but as a small invitation: a shallow dish of water, a corner left a little wilder, and a few locally native or pollinator-friendly plants allowed to stay where they volunteered.
Over time, I discovered that patience is one of the most useful tools a backyard naturalist can own. The longer you watch, the more the yard stops being a backdrop and becomes a living place with regular characters, seasonal newcomers, and unexpected events.
Why It’s Nature exists
It’s Nature was created to help people reconnect with what is already around them. I have met so many folks who care about the environment but feel oddly disconnected from it, as if nature is something that only happens “out there.” I understand that feeling. I lived it.
A major part of the site’s mission is to push back against “plant blindness,” a recognized tendency to overlook plants even though they are the green foundation that holds everything together. When you start naming what you see, even loosely, you begin to recognize relationships: who feeds on whom, who shelters whom, and which small choices in a yard or on a balcony can make life easier for the species sharing our neighborhoods.
If this site has a philosophy, it is simple: connection does not require expensive gear or faraway wilderness. It requires attention.
What you’ll find here
It’s Nature is built for curious readers, from first-time observers to longtime gardeners who want to see their spaces with fresher eyes. You will find practical guidance, approachable explanations, and plenty of encouragement to slow down and look again.
- Hands-on gardening help in the Gardening guide, with an emphasis on working with your space, not against it.
- Plant-focused stories and tips in the Plants guide, aimed at helping you notice details, patterns, and seasonal change.
- Everyday wildlife observation in the Backyard Wildlife guide, from the visitors you expect to the ones you might be missing.
- Indoor growing and calm, green corners in the Houseplants guide, because attention can start on a windowsill.
My goal is for you to leave each page feeling more capable and more curious, not overwhelmed. Nature study can be as small as noticing what blooms first on your street, or listening for the same bird call at the same hour three mornings in a row.
A small invitation
If you are not sure where to begin, begin with one square yard. Or one balcony pot. Or one patch of sidewalk where a stubborn plant keeps returning. Watch it for a week. Then another. Take notes if you like. Sketch if you do not mind being imperfect. The point is not to become an expert overnight. The point is to build a relationship with the living community that already shares your address.
And if you ever catch yourself thinking, “There’s nothing out here,” I hope you will treat that as a challenge rather than a conclusion. In my experience, “nothing” often means “I have not stayed long enough.”
Questions and corrections
It’s Nature is a living project, and I want it to be accurate, helpful, and grounded. When we publish guidance or explain a natural phenomenon, we lean on careful firsthand observation, reputable sources where they matter, and updates when new information or better clarity comes along.
If you spot something that needs correcting, if you have a question about something you observed, or if you have an idea you would love to see covered within the site’s existing guides, I genuinely want to hear from you. The best way to reach me and the editors is through the contact form at /contact/.
You can also review how the site handles information in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
However you found your way here, I’m glad you did. If you would like to start exploring right away, head back to the home page and follow whatever catches your eye. Curiosity is a dependable compass.