Friends of Murphys Point Park

Mindfulness and the Outdoors

Posted on May 20, 2026 by Friends of Murphys Point

Ever been on a beautiful walk, but felt that your mind was drifting elsewhere? Maybe your phone is plaguing you with notifications or you can hear the rush of cars passing. I (Sarah, Student Ranger) know that I often drift to my deadlines, dinner plans, and upcoming events. This spring we invite you to take time on your hikes to unwind and practice mindfulness in the outdoors.

A beaver pond at Murphys Point Provincial Park

What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the act of being completely present and aware of the moment you are experiencing. It includes your internal state, as well as your surroundings (things that are external).

Mindfulness has not always been easy for me, but I have had great mentors (including my 8th grade teacher) who helped me to develop this skill. When I am practicing mindfulness, I like to use the 5 things method: 5 things I can see, 4 things I can touch, 3 things I can hear, 2 I can smell, and 1 feeling. This focus on the external and internal helps me to ground myself and truly take in the experience. I also make sure to put my entertainment devices (phone, watch, etc.) on silent mode and take a moment to sit or stand in the moment. Once I feel connected, I continue my walk with my focus on what is going on around me!

Personally, I find practicing mindfulness while being outdoors to be beneficial to my mental wellbeing and health. Thinking about these benefits made me want to share this here, but also look into the possibility of nature and mindfulness having impacts on health.

I decided to consult academic papers on this and found a meta-analysis titled ‘The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness’ published by Carleton University’s Department of Psychology in 2014. Capaldi, Dopko, and Zelenski found that there appears to be a positive (and significant) relationship between nature connectedness and happiness in their meta-analysis of papers ranging from 1985 to 2013.

I am not a medical or wellbeing professional, but knowing that there are multiple researchers (including ongoing studies) looking into the health benefits of connecting with nature and mindfulness is exciting! Perhaps a walk outside and being in the moment can be beneficial for you, as it has been for me.

At Murphys Point, I have found the Sylvan trail, Loon Lake loop, and McParlan House trail to be my favourite spots for some quiet reflection. If you’re looking for a quieter trail out of these 3, try the McParlan trail. The sounds of Black Creek and birds are truly something to hear.

If you want to try a fun challenge from home, check out our Instagram (@friendsofmurphyspointpark) and Facebook (Friends of Murphys Point Park) pages where we have posted an ASMR-style video from the park. See if you can guess what the sounds are before the images pop up and let us know in our comments how many you guessed!

Wishing you a happy, healthy spring! Here’s to being mindful in the great outdoors.

Lookout on The Rideau Trail, Murphys Point Provincial Park

Bibliography

Capaldi, C. A., Dopko, R. L., & Zelenski, J. M. (2014). The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00976 

2026 Friends of Murphys Point Summer Students

Posted on May 11, 2026 by Friends of Murphys Point

Introducing the 2026 Friends of Murphys Point Park summer students. We are excited to be covering our work at the park and Friends initiatives this summer!

2026 Friends students in front of Murphys Point park sign. Amelia (left) & Sarah (right)

Hello, my name is Sarah and I am a returning student with the Friends. I loved working with the Friends last year and I am grateful to be able to return and work with the organization again. I am studying at Queen’s University’s School of Environmental Studies, with areas including environmental sciences and general natural sciences. While I enjoy studying the outdoors in the classroom, I also enjoy exploring it in my free time! Heading out for a good hike or paddle in the summer can make my day. I’m a big believer in the positive impacts of time spent in nature on your wellbeing too. I cannot wait to share all we will be working on this year!

Sarah in front of Murphys Point park sign

Hi, I’m Amelia and this is my second year at Murphys Point, but my first year with the Friends! I had a blast last year in discovery, learning about the nature and history of the park. I am super happy that I have the opportunity to work at the park again and I am excited to work with the Friends. I am going into my fourth year at the University of Ottawa for biology. I am especially interested in ecosystems, how they interact and all the living things in them. I love learning facts about plants and animals, even creepy-crawlies. I believe that there is always something cool to see in nature, if you just look hard enough. I like to look at the small picture as well as large, because even if you don’t see a deer, you might see a millipede. I love to talk about the facts I have learned, so please feel free to ask me any questions you have if you see me around the park. Everyone is always learning new things, so no question is too silly! And if you have any facts to share. With me, I would love to hear them.

Amelia in front of Murphys Point park sign

This summer we hope to assist park staff with tasks such as invasive species and ecosystem management, natural heritage education, and promotion of the gray ratsnake. We are also looking to continue the communication of the Friends across the blog, Instagram (@friendsofmurphyspoint), and facebook (Friends of Murphys Point Park) page.

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Spectacular day for AGM and Adopt-a-Road!

Posted on April 27, 2026 by Friends of Murphys Point

What a perfect day for our Annual General Meeting and Spring Adopt-a-Road event!

The Friends of Murphys Point Park gathered on Sunday, April 26 at the Lally Homestead for our AGM. We had a great turnout of members, who received an update on our 2025 activities and financial statements. Congratulations to Derek Zeisman, David Batchelor and Stephanie Gray on your election for a two-year term on the Board. Derek Needham, Brian Pierce and Tara Langford are completing the second year of their term this year.

Following the AGM, an intrepid crew of volunteers set out from the homestead to complete our spring roadside pick-up as part of the Lanark County Adopt-a-Road program. What a haul! In addition to the usual array of cans, glass bottles (some Stubbies had been there a while!), plastic bottles and miscellaneous garbage (including a trellis), we continued our unofficial quest to build a car by collecting three more tires, a tail pipe and a piece of fender! One tire recovery involved a human chain and a very long stick to retrieve it from a waterbody.

Thanks to our volunteers (Sue, Derek N, Derek Z, Brian, Dave, Tara, Kev, Christine and Steph) for your hard work cleaning up the section of County Road 21 that travels through Murphys Point, and also to Superintendent Curtis Thompson and Assistant Superintendent Mark Read for keeping us safe as we worked. We could not have asked for nicer weather nor better companionship!