Between work, family commitments and catching up with friends, it’s too easy to wake up and realise weeks have passed without spending any real time outdoors! We tell ourselves, “I’ll get my nature fix next week,” yet whenever we do step outside, we’re reminded of just how much better we feel — and wonder why we don’t do it more often.
Nature has a remarkable ability to calm our minds, restore our energy and reconnect us with the world around us, while offering countless physical benefits too. As Australians, we’re incredibly fortunate to have access to such diverse and beautiful natural landscapes. Sometimes all it takes is making a little space in our week to rediscover them.
These experiences are even more meaningful when the places we visit are clean and healthy. Litter-free beaches, parks and bushland aren’t just more beautiful, they create safer habitats for wildlife and more welcoming spaces for people to enjoy. The more we enjoy and connect with these places, the more inspired we are to protect them, helping create a positive cycle of care.
So, if you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to get outside, consider this your sign. Here’s one simple outdoor activity for every day of the week to help you reconnect with nature. And when it’s time to head home, remember to Do the Right Thing — take your litter with you and leave these special places just as you found them.
MONDAY ‘Pause’
Barefoot Grounding
Quick. Easy. Meaningful. No need to rush into the week—try barefoot grounding (also known as “earthing”), a simple practice that encourages us to slow down and feel the world beneath our feet.
All you need to do is take off your shoes, find a patch of grass, sand or soil, and spend a few quiet minutes standing or walking barefoot. For obvious reasons, a clean, litter-free spot makes the experience a lot more enjoyable (nobody wants an unexpected piece of rubbish underfoot!).
Appreciate the feeling of grass beneath your feet or sand between your toes. Take five deep breaths, notice what you can see, hear and smell, and allow yourself to be fully present in the moment.
Beyond the calming effect of simply spending time outdoors, barefoot grounding may support relaxation and better sleep quality.
Barefoot grounding is a reminder that reconnecting with nature doesn’t always require a big adventure – it’s right there beneath your feet.
TUESDAY ‘Act’
A walk with purpose
On your regular walk or run this week, why not try plogging, the Scandinavian trend of picking up litter while you exercise? You get the physical benefits of movement while enjoying the satisfaction of leaving a place better than you found it.
Grab a bag before you head off and dispose of the litter responsibly when you reach a bin. If you track the distance you cover and the amount of litter you collected, you can challenge your friends or family to beat your score!
WEDNESDAY ‘Notice’
Birdwatching in Your Backyard
You don’t need to travel far for a wildlife encounter. Australia’s birdlife is incredibly diverse, and your backyard or nearest green space is likely home to more species than you’d expect. Spend 20 minutes outside, slowing down and looking around. See how many different birds you can spot and try identifying them using the free Merlin Bird ID app (a bit like Pokémon GO for bird lovers!).
Birdwatching can quickly become a form of meditation, tuning you in to the sounds, movements and details of the world around you. Fair warning—you might get hooked! If you do, submit your sightings to BirdLife Australia’s eBird database to contribute to citizen science while keeping track of your observations.
As you explore, take note of what makes the area a good home for birds. Is there plenty of native vegetation for shelter? Insects and plants for food? Water nearby?
Keeping these spaces clean helps protect the habitats birds rely on every day. Even small pieces of litter can have an impact. Some birds use materials like plastic in their nests, which can create risks for themselves and their chicks.
THURSDAY ‘Immerse’
Bushwalk or Nature Trail
Did you know Australia is home to more than 600 national parks? Chances are there’s one within reach—or if not, a local reserve or walking track offers many of the same benefits.
You may have heard of the Japanese practice of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku), which encourages people to slow down and mindfully immerse themselves in nature. Research suggests that spending time in natural environments can reduce stress, clear the mind and promote relaxation, plus walking provides valuable physical benefits.
Find a local trail, leave your earphones behind, and let nature do the rest. Notice the details you usually rush past: the texture of the bark, the shape of the leaves, the scent of the bush, or the tiny fungi and insects making their home along the track.
Remember to leave behind only your footprints and take only photos. This means taking all your rubbish with you, while leaving natural treasures like shells, rocks and bark where they belong rather than taking them home as souvenirs. Keeping trails clean and undisturbed helps protect the plants, animals and ecosystems that make these places so special. You can also consider rating and reviewing the trail on AllTrails to help others discover great places to explore.
FRIDAY ‘Connect’
Community Clean-up
Today is all about coming together. Organise or join a community clean-up at your local beach, park, creek or street and experience the difference a shared act of care can make.
Working together to improve shared spaces strengthens social connections, fosters a greater sense of belonging and reminds us that we all have a role to play in looking after our communities.
Invite a friend, family member or neighbour to join you, bring along some gloves and rubbish bags, and spend 30 minutes giving your chosen spot a bit of extra love. Don’t forget to snap a before-and-after photo and share your efforts using #KeepAustraliaBeautiful to inspire others to get involved. If you’re short on time, try the 10 Minute Pickup Pieces Challenge! Set a timer and see how many pieces you can collect in just 10 minutes. It’s a small action that fits easily into your day and every piece removed is one less piece of litter that can make its way into our waterways and eventually the ocean.
SATURDAY ‘Belong’
Find and photograph your Happy Place
On the weekend, visit the place that makes you feel most alive, peaceful or connected to the natural world. It doesn’t need to be dramatic or remote; it just needs to mean something to you.
Spending time in places that bring us joy is a powerful way to recharge and support our mental wellbeing. Take a photo that captures why you love it, write a sentence about what makes it special and share your story using #BeautifulSpacesHappyPlaces and #KABWeek. By sharing the places that matter to us, we can inspire others to appreciate and protect our special natural spaces. Before you snap your photo, take a moment to remove any litter you spot to help keep your happy place looking its best.
SUNDAY ‘Care’
Outdoor lunch or picnic (zero-waste)
Take your lunch outdoors this weekend and challenge yourself to make it completely zero waste. Pack your food in reusable containers, bring a reusable drink bottle and cloth napkin, and skip single-use plastics, cling wrap and disposable cutlery. Find a local park or green space, slow down and enjoy your meal outdoors.
An outdoor picnic is also a great opportunity for kids to step away from screens, explore their surroundings and discover the natural world at their own pace.
Before you leave, make sure you take everything you brought with you, every container, wrapper and piece of waste. And if you happen to spot a few stray pieces of litter while you’re there, why not leave the space even better than you found it?
Looking for more ways to connect?
Seven days is just the beginning. There are countless ways to build a deeper relationship with the natural world, whether it’s planting a native tree, swimming in natural waterways, exploring a rockpool or creek, or simply watching the sunrise or sunset. You might like to start a nature journal to record the plants and animals you discover, create a compost or worm farm, grow your own vegetables or join a community garden.
If you’re looking for a way to make a bigger impact, consider volunteering with a local conservation or Landcare group. Across Australia, Landcare communities are working together to restore habitats, protect biodiversity and care for the places we all share. It’s easy to find a group near you through Landcare Australia’s Find a Group directory: www.landcareaustralia.org.au/find-a-group
The more time we spend in nature, the more we notice its beauty, understand its importance and feel inspired to protect it. Clean, healthy environments give us spaces to slow down, reconnect and support our physical and mental wellbeing. The places that help us feel our best deserve our care in return. By doing the right thing, taking our litter with us and leaving these spaces better than we found them, we can all help create Beautiful Spaces, Happy Places.
WRITTEN BY: Rosie Starr (KAB Content Creator – Volunteer)