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The Everyday Outdoors at Carleton

Emma '28 shows us nature, big and small, in and around Northfield!

Emma '28 shows us nature, big and small, in and around Northfield!

Admissions Blog The Everyday Outdoors at Carleton

In college, the urge to study often stops students from spending enough time in the fresh air. At Carleton, however, this isn’t true!!! “Outdoorsy” is one of the main words that I would use to describe Carleton students, and we are very insistent on incorporating time outdoors into our routines. Many of us partake in official outdoor activities through the student organization CANOE, but you would be hard-pressed to find a Carl that doesn’t love a casual Arb walk or picnic dinner.

This blog is very timely, as the weather is finally beautiful here in Northfield. I got a very light tan during outdoor class on the Bald Spot yesterday. The outdoors is making its full forceful comeback! In celebration of the beginning of warmth and time outside, here are some of my favorite pics of the nature of Northfield from the last year.

A photo taken looking down of a person's feet on a lawn with dandelions
Dandelions were starting to come up last week, the first sign of the true beginning of spring!
Two ducks wandering across a lawn
I spotted these two ducks near the admissions building the other day, far from their normal home all the way by Lyman Lakes!
A snowscape on campus
Minnesota winters are tough, but so beautiful! The snow makes everything come so alive.
A sunset over a river
The top of Laird Stadium is a super lovely place to catch the sunset over the neighborhoods.
A spotted insect sits on top of a piece of paper on a wooden table
This Asian Lady Beetle came to visit while I studied on the Bald Spot. I’ve heard they’re invasive, but wow they’re cute!
A tree grows out of a large outcropping of yellow rocks
This picture is technically not from Carleton, but it was taken during an Geology lab, where students travel every week to see the local geology. I’m taking Intro right now and it’s a lovely way to get to know the nature in the area.
A deer looks into the camera from behind trees
This (admittedly blurry) picture of a deer was taken last week during an Arb walk. They’re out and about this time of year!
A bundle of flowers in an old-fashioned mailbox
Bonus: nature makes its way inside at Carleton in the form of Friday Flowers, one of my favorite traditions.

Emma (she/her/hers) is a sophomore prospective Art History major/European Studies minor from Attleboro, Massachusetts. When she’s not in class, you can probably find Emma engrossed in a terribly long conversation in Burton Dining Hall, knitting at a Bald Spot picnic table, or perusing the museum studies stacks on third libe. Beyond blogging, she works for the Registrar’s Office, teaches adult tap dance classes downtown, and loves submitting to student publications like babyteeth and No Fidelity. She loves Carleton for the number of opportunities it offers and the close connections she’s formed with professors, not to mention proximity to coffee from Goodbye Blue Monday and early morning walks through the neighborhoods.

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