A Case for Touching Grass

“Seriously, you guys need to touch grass.” Scroll through TikTok for a few minutes and you’re likely to hear this phrase at least once. What started as a reminder to slow down the scrolling has morphed into a sarcastic retort, a modern day version of “get real.” However you interpret it, the sentiment is the same: Get off your phone and exist in the real world. 

While I’m as guilty as the next young adult of racking up hours of screen time, I’ve gained a bit of a new perspective over the last year. In March of 2025, I quit my fully remote job and started a fully in-person role as the Development & Engagement Manager at Wing Haven, a historic garden in Charlotte. I manage lower-level fundraising and community outreach efforts. My goal in starting this new job was, essentially, to touch grass. I was sick of working with people that I never got to meet, staring at a screen all day, sitting in my apartment for hours on end, and not being involved in my community. It felt like my career was in a limbo stage and it was hard for me to learn and grow this way. 

I’ve always loved nature. As a child, I spent hours on woodland trails and exploring creeks, fascinated by the rocks and small creatures that I’d discover. Starting at Wing Haven felt like a natural extension of this, a way to live out the passion I have for the outdoors each and every day. Through fundraising, I can encourage others to support sustainability efforts and through community outreach, I can bring nature to those who need it most. My specific role doesn’t require me to be hands-on in the garden but, like most of our staff, I choose to be. It’s nearly impossible to be surrounded by blooms and an iridescent green canopy all day and not want to immerse yourself in it. So, that’s what I started doing. 

The first few weeks I worked here were spent in awe of my surroundings. I felt an incredible sense of gratitude and disbelief that I had managed to somehow secure my dream job. Every day, I took a walk to explore a new area of the garden. My spring start date was perfect because at all times, something new was blooming, more bees and butterflies would appear, and the wildlife that resides here became more lively. There was always something exciting waiting for me outside the windows of my office. 

This has become routine for me a year into the job. I spend time in the garden daily. Sometimes I’m just getting fresh air and taking a break from my desk, some days I’m leading an outreach tour, and some days I’m participating in a citizen science initiative. For example, last summer we participated in a Bumblebee Atlas research project. We captured bees, put them on ice, and documented the species. In February, we hosted the Great Backyard Bird Count, giving the public free access to the gardens for bird watching and documentation. This summer, I’m taking a class about pollinators.

Through these projects and my own exploration, something occurred to me. The more time I spend outside, the more I notice. The more I learn. Yes, I know this is not a revelation for the ages. But it’s interesting. I’ve spent all this time outdoors throughout my life and had no idea what I was looking at. 

Now I can identify a bird by its song. I can tell you the difference between a bee with stripes on its abdomen and a bee without. I can explain why hydrangeas are different colors, and how native plants benefit the wider ecosystem. I can give you pesticide alternatives and tell you why you shouldn’t rake your fall leaves. I can spot the difference between a house finch and a purple finch (it’s harder than you think) and explain why the trees in our garden lean downhill. All I had to do was start paying attention. 

I spent weeks last summer searching for a pink moth that I knew was flying around in the garden. My coworker had seen it and showed me a picture. I looked for it every time I went outside and was starting to think I’d never find it. Finally, on a random walk, I saw it sitting on a blanket flower. The excitement I felt was unlike anything else. I felt like I’d won a prize. It’s just a moth, I know. But when you see this tiny creature, painted a bubblegum pink, it brings you an intense sense of wonder to know that nature is creating these beautiful works of art. And I would’ve missed it, and that feeling, if I had been content with my coworker’s photo of it. 

Spending more time outside also puts things into perspective. On social media, we are taking in a constant feed of negativity and divisiveness. We are being pushed further and further apart from each other, made to believe that we’re all so different and that all the anger in society today is normal. It’s not. This is not how the world should function. There is an entirely different society in existence online and it’s not a good one. I encourage you to take a break from this. Put your phone down and breathe. We are not as different as the world makes it seem. Go outside and remind yourself that connection is what people actually thrive on. We could all stand to be a little bit less bitter.

So all this to say - touching grass is actually life changing. It’s not a buzzy trend. Spending time in nature is good for your physical health, it puts you in a better mood, and it calms you down. You will start to feel more in touch with the world around you and the smallest things start to bring you immense joy. There is an entire real world existing outside our screens, but it’s passing us by as we spend each day with our necks craned at that awful downward angle. 

There is so much to do outside! Listen to the birds. Watch a bee pollinate a flower. Chase a butterfly to its next destination. Notice the different colored lizards you see scampering around your feet. Pick out every constellation you can see. Learn about the flowers you’re smelling. Sit in the grass and read. Look for your pink moth. It’s impossible to be bored out there. Go touch grass.