The Roots of MicroExploring
What if spending time in nature didn’t require a detailed plan or even a destination?
That question sits at the heart of MicroExploring the SuperSanctuary, a new book by Phil Brown, the Harris Center’s bird conservation director, and Ignacio Oreamuno, a Hancock-based adventure guide.
Phil & Ignacio on a MicroExploring adventure (courtesy photo)
Phil and Ignacio’s friendship grew through years of exploring the SuperSanctuary together — on foot, by canoe, and with their families. During the pandemic, those outings became more intentional: simple, local adventures that helped them connect, reset, and stay grounded. As they returned to the same places again and again, something shifted.
“The more we wandered close to home, the more we felt it: this was a new kind of exploration,” they write. “Closer. Slower. Quieter. It didn’t have a name. So we gave it one: MicroExploring.”
In 2022, they began leading guided MicroExploring walks, introducing people to hidden gems across the 44,000-acre SuperSanctuary. Participants reported feeling better mentally, physically, and emotionally. On one of those outings, a conversation with children’s publishing and audiobook producer Tim Ditlow sparked the idea for a book, and the project quickly took shape.
The book is also deeply rooted in the conservation history of the SuperSanctuary itself. In her introduction, Harris Center naturalist Susie Spikol reflects on the vision of longtime Harris Center director Meade Cadot and founder Eleanor Briggs, whose shared commitment helped protect a connected mosaic of forests, wetlands, fields, and waterways across the Monadnock Region.
“At the core of the Harris Center and its SuperSanctuary lies the belief that we all can fall in love with this wild world,” Susie writes. “MicroExploring the SuperSanctuary shares the same hope….Although it highlights the SuperSanctuary in New Hampshire’s Monadnock region, it is a blueprint for how to explore and fall in love with any place in our world.”
More than a Trail Guide
An excerpt from the introduction explains how MicroExploring the SuperSanctuary differs from other guidebooks:
It’s not just about where to walk, but also how to walk. It’s not about conquering peaks; it’s about noticing what’s underfoot, overhead, and all around us. It’s about restoring something most of us have lost: a deep, sensory connection to the natural world. It’s about discovering trails and small patches of woods, brooks, wetlands, and fields right where we are. It’s about moving slowly, paying attention, engaging all the senses, and allowing ourselves to feel joy, curiosity, and awe. It’s about finding meaning not in faraway wilderness but in the everyday wild…
MicroExploring is the intentional, ongoing exploration of the nature and geography within a short radius of our homes — often no more than a ten- or fifteen-minute walk, bike, or drive away. It’s guided by wonder, not agenda. It’s the art of noticing what’s right in front of us….The best part is that MicroExploring is for everyone and can be practiced anywhere. Regardless of your experience level — whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a curious beginner — MicroExploring offers you a doorway.
MicroExploring the SuperSanctuary is a love letter to the SuperSanctuary, blending natural and cultural history with personal reflections.
The book features 15 nearby routes — from easygoing walks to more challenging hikes and even a quiet paddle — each with maps, practical details, seasonal highlights, and insider tips.
You’ll also find sensory prompts and “MicroExploring Practices” designed to help you slow down, pay attention, and build a lasting connection with the natural world.
“The most important commitment you can make as a MicroExplorer is to challenge [the idea]…that you are too busy to take time to spend in nature each week,” write Phil and Ignacio.
“When your mind insists there’s no time because you are busy and stressed, that’s exactly when you need it the most.”
About the Book
Author-signed copies of MicroExploring the SuperSanctuary are available at the Harris Center, the
Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough, and through the Dreamcatchers website. Stay tuned to the Harris Center events calendar and The Dreamcatchers website for upcoming MicroExploring programs.
A look inside MicroExploring the SuperSanctuary (photo © Ignacio Oreamuno)
