After what felt like the longest winter in recent memory — followed by a cold, soggy excuse for a spring — I’m finally back to my regular morning routine: hopping on my bike before work and heading out toward the waterfront.

And let me tell you… it feels really good to be back.

There’s something magical about those early morning rides through Toronto’s waterfront redevelopment area, along Cherry Beach, and eventually into my favourite riding destination of all: Tommy Thompson Park, better known to many of us as the Leslie Street Spit.

At that hour, the city hasn’t fully woken up yet. The traffic noise is low, the air is fresh, and the trails belong mostly to cyclists, dog walkers, and of course, the birds — lots and lots of birds.

For me, these rides are less about fitness and more about sanity.

It’s just me, the rising sun, a light breeze off the lake, and a full choir of feathered friends singing from every direction. Red-winged Blackbirds yelling from the reeds like tiny opera singers with attitude. Goldfinches bouncing around like caffeinated tennis balls. Swallows darting through the air performing aerial acrobatics that would make the Snowbirds jealous.

And then there are the moments that make you stop pedaling entirely.

A Great Blue Heron standing perfectly still near the shoreline. A hawk circling overhead. A Baltimore Oriole flashing orange in the morning light like nature’s version of a traffic cone.

Not bad for a ride before 8 a.m.

I find that solitary bike rides like this are one of the best ways to decompress and keep my head-space clear. No emails. No notifications. No doom-scrolling. Just the rhythmic sound of tires on gravel and the constant soundtrack of nature doing its thing.

Honestly, I think we all need more of that.

Whether it’s cycling like me, going for a quiet morning walk in a local park, sitting on the porch with a coffee, or heading out with a camera to snap a few nature photos, taking time to disconnect from screens and reconnect with the outdoors is one of the most rewarding and relaxing healthy activities we can do.

Nature has a funny way of slowing us down in the best possible way.

You start noticing little things again. The smell of the trees after rain. The sound of frogs near the marsh. The way the lake looks completely different every single morning. Even the birds seem less like “background noise” and more like old friends welcoming you back after winter hibernation.

And after a Canadian winter, that welcome feels well earned.

Now that the warm weather has finally arrived, I plan to visit the birds of Tommy Thompson Park as many mornings as possible. I’m sure they’ve missed my questionable cycling pace and habit of stopping every five minutes to birdwatch.

Or maybe they just want me to move out of the bike lane. Either way, it’s good to be back.

By Paul Oliver

Founder of Urban Nature Store