What are your favorite jnteractions with the natural world?
I choose the octopus. Most octopuses will want to check on you if you’re patient.
This is what heappened to me during my 7 day vacation in Greece!It was so friendly I managed to take my new profile picture!
I think the one I remember most fondly was one Summer as a teen, when I was napping on this, I don’t know if english has a word for it, like a hill but made exclusively of rock, anyway, this rock the island our Summerhouse was mainly composed of. Had been staring out to the open sea. Then I suddenly realized two cool spots had appeared on my forehead. I opened my eyes and stared at a wagtail standing on my forehead. Apparently noticing my eyes open, it looked down, stared me in the eyes for a second and flew off. “Oh no! My chillout spot came to life!”
Loved that island. 4 of these high rock-hills, that came down into moist spruce-covered valleys in-between, some places downright marsh. Top of the hills covered mostly in lichen and moss, and some pines and small deciduous trees in depressions where fertile matter had accumulated. You could see all the way to the horizon on the “backside” of the island. The “inside” opened to a fjard that bordered the coastline.
A paper company eventually bought all the public land (majority of the island) and logged almost all the trees off, leaving it completely ruined.
I thought this was pretty awesome. This deer had absolutely no fear as it waded through rushing river! I just watched from the bank.
I don’t think I’d be able to choose just one. Every time I wonder into nature is full of precious encounters and new little friends…
Every encounter with a Carpathian blue slug feels like a dream!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/225742590
The time a stonefly decided to come chill on my fingers felt so magical and got me so entranced that I nearly missed my train back home, lol.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/224747536
A precious little hornet (and his larger family living in an abandoned grapeyard) was a highlight of my day that I still remember fondly.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/252612066
The moment a parasitic wasp baby whose egg I saved in winter safely hatched…
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/224717524
Honestly, any and every wasp encounter I’ve ever had… They’re absolutely adorable creatures, and horribly misunderstood by human society. If you’re kind and friendly with them, they’ll return that energy right back ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و 
This katydid trying to eat me, chewed my dead skin a bit. Katydids are a treat to hold.
The best interactions are the ones where I didn’t have to try to have them – the creature came to me. Like this American Snout that came to drink the skin salts on my toes.
I don’t have any observations of these but these are my favorites: I’ve swan with sharks, been in the middle of a massive feeding frenzy in the surf of California, seen fish give birth right in front of me, had a mule deer lead us through red rock canyon in Colorado like a freaking potronus from Harry Potter, found a concho water snake that somehow ended up in Houston, swan with a wild green sea turtle in Rockport Texas, swam with wild cownose rays in Freeport Texas, caught a baby Jack cravalle on a tanago hook by blind casting and much more that I can’t remember. :D edit: I do have baby Jack on inat.
There are a few similar topics on the forum already.
Random Nature Encounters and Stories
I made a new friend!
