To enter your thoughts around “Nature Insights” mentioned in the podcast, click the button below to go to the collaboration session and share your thoughts. The session (survey/but not really a survey) is free and is run by CrowdSmart. It gathers up all the ideas submitted and people’s comments and/or suggested adaptations. It then creates a ranked order of most helpful judged by the community. All entries are “blind,” meaning, nobody can see who is the author of each idea. Then, in about a month, you will receive a list of ideas for connecting with God in nature. Cool, eh? Happy sharing!
This podcast is from my new book about nature at nighttime, coming out in fall of 2024. I chose this raccoon chapter because I think a lot of us are dealing with—or struggling with—changes in our lives.
Our nation, and the world are going through tremendous upheaval these days. Some people have lost their jobs, others are just nervous with all that’s going on. And some people are struggling with their loved ones, their homelife, and their health.
But raccoons show us how to adapt and learn in these tough times.
Raccoons are smarter and more adaptable than you imagine. As much as I boast about the brilliance of poodles and German Shepherd dogs (both breeds in our home growing up) recent intelligence tests place raccoons just under the intelligence of monkeys and ahead of dogs. And their remarkable, dexterous paws can pick locks, open windows, doors, picnic coolers and garbage cans. Native to North America, these nocturnal mammals with their ring-striped tails were called aroughcun by the Powhatan tribe which means "animal that scratches with its hands."
The most famous feature about raccoons is the fact they seem to "wash" their food in water. My grandmother used to put out scraps of food and a shallow pan of water at night to watch and photograph this unique behavior.
But are they really "washing" their food? While most animals use their senses of sight, sound, and smell to find food, raccoons depend on their sense of touch. Their front paws consist of five dexterous appendages that are remarkably nimble, function like human fingers, and contain about four times more sensory receptors than their back paws. This is about the same proportion in humans. This way they can discriminate items without seeing them—a helpful talent for feeding in the dark. So, what we think is washing their food, is actually dousing—wetting their paws to stimulate nerve endings. In this way, they get more sensory information about what they are handling.
Although they don't "belong" in cities, they have prospered and increased in our cement jungles. In the forest they eat birds, insects, fruits, nuts, and seeds. In the city and suburban areas they find plenty of garbage and pet food. Scientists have noticed their uncanny learning capabilities and put them to the test.
Biologist and psychologist Suzanne MacDonald at York University in Toronto placed garbage cans containing food in both rural and urban areas. The city raccoons could easily open the lids, but the country raccoons failed every time.
In the 1900s, H.B. Davis gave 12 raccoons a series of locks to figure out. To reach the treats inside boxes, they had to figure out various hooks, bolts, latches, and levers, with some boxes having more than one lock. With their dexterous hands and learning capabilities, they solved 11 of the 13 puzzles.
So often in my talks with friends, we lament what we've lost. As we navigate middle age, we find ourselves saying, "I didn't used to be like this," or, "I never struggled with this before." It's as if we've found ourselves in an alien landscape and we're not sure how to steer our way through it. Our capable and strong bodies change, our relationships twist and turn, and society morphs in unexpected ways around us. We look back wistfully at the way things used to be when life was simpler, easier, and we could cruise through without a thought.
I am watching friends and acquaintances lose their jobs, savings, and relationships with family members lately. They feel as if the ground is shifting beneath them and what was once familiar and solid is now feeling alien and disorientating. The political and financial news both here and around the world just exacerbates it. Both traditional and alternative news channels all convey the same message, "Expect change. Expect the unexpected."
But choosing the hard work and mental toughness of adapting and finding some reason to be grateful makes a world of difference. The old-timers called this grit. Modern jargon calls this a growth mindset. The Bible calls it wise and biblical living.
In this podcast I talk about how the tenacity and growth mindset of raccoons can teach us much about applying God’s truths to our conditions, no matter how disorientating.
To find out how to get that grit—or growth mindset— for your circumstances, listen to the rest of the podcast.
Want to learn more about nature?
With over 100 Amazon reviews, I think I can safely say you’ll enjoy this book. Filled with unique experiences in the great outdoors, and how we can see and hear God in the midst of it.
Join in the discussion!
In the podcast I mentioned my husband’s app that allows on-going, morphing surveys that build on each person’s entry. The app notes all the stories and picks up on what is most helpful and encouraging to the group. While you won’t see your entry immediately (because, let’s face it, we all want our stories to be the most read/upvoted), others will see your entry. And, you will see others’ stories and get to vote on which were the most meaningful or insightful to you. Fascinating!
NOTE: These are identity cloaked. So you don’t have to worry about that. Also, you will receive an invitation to “CrowdSmart - Nature of Hope.” That’s from me ☺️