Naturalistic Intelligence: Meaning, Activities, Careers & More

In today’s digital world, it can be hard to find a place for exercising naturalistic intelligence with its focus on the environment, animals, plants, and other natural phenomena. However, that doesn’t mean this intelligence isn’t valuable.

In fact, with growing environmental concerns, it might soon become one of the most important intelligence types.

But what is naturalistic intelligence, and how does it manifest itself? Read on to find out everything you need to know!

What Is Naturalistic Intelligence?

Naturalistic intelligence refers to the ability to observe, identify, classify, and manipulate elements of nature, including plants, animals, and other phenomena.

What Is Naturalistic Intelligence?

Although naturalistic intelligence belongs to Gardner’s nine intelligences, it wasn’t first introduced in 1983 like the original seven. Instead, Gardner reevaluated his own work in a 1999 book called Intelligences Reframed and introduced two new intelligences—naturalistic and existential.

According to Gardner, naturalistic intelligence may be among the first kinds of intelligence human beings developed. Before we built cities and organized societies based on agriculture and trade, our survival depended on whether we could recognize dangerous elements of nature and make use of the ones that could benefit us.

Nowadays, our survival may not be as strongly interlinked with naturalistic intelligence, but it’s still a useful skill to have. After all, this intelligence is not only about nature but also pattern recognition, observation, curiosity, and understanding of various concepts and their inner workings.

Pro tip: The other seven types of intelligence mentioned above include visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.

Naturalistic Intelligence Characteristics

To help you better understand people with high naturalistic intelligence, we will lay out their typical characteristics.

#1. Caring about Nature

People with high naturalistic intelligence feel a sincere connection with nature, which results in deeper care for it. That may manifest in various ways—usually through gardening, caring for pets or stray animals, or actively participating in ecological movements.

In addition, these individuals like to improve their knowledge about the natural world and keep up-to-date with any pressing environmental issues. To them, none of that feels like a chore; in fact, they are the ones who motivate others to contribute to ecological movements, even if just in a small way.

#2. Using Observation Skills

To classify various elements of nature, something people with high naturalistic intelligence excel at, you first need to observe and differentiate them. So, it comes as no surprise that these individuals have great observation skills.

Aside from helping them understand the natural world, observation skills are useful in day-to-day life too. Many professions demand great attention to detail, and, generally speaking, people who have trained themselves to see what others can’t make better decisions and have more satisfying relationships.

#3. Enjoying Outdoor Activities

Hiking, picnicking, camping, strolling in the park—as long as it’s in nature, people with high naturalistic intelligence love it. Nothing restores them quite as much as spending the entire day outside, surrounded by grass, trees, and an endless sky.

In fact, staying indoors for too long might quickly make them stir-crazy. So, whenever possible, these people should seek the comfort and tranquility of natural environments.

#4. Tending a Garden

If you know someone who’s always tinkering in the garden or seems to be forever buying new plants, that person likely has high naturalistic intelligence.

As a general rule, individuals with high naturalistic intelligence love their plants and gardens, feeling most at peace when they’re tending to them. However, it’s not just that they enjoy the activity—they are genuinely quite good at it. Their deep-seated connection with nature enables them to quickly grasp and fulfill the needs of their plants.

#5. Having Multiple Pets

A women hugging her pet dogs

Everyone loves the company of their pets, but no one loves it as much as people with high naturalistic intelligence. These individuals surround themselves with as many animals as possible—the more, the merrier!

And when we say animals, we don’t just mean cats and dogs. People with high naturalistic intelligence may keep rabbits, fish, hamsters, or, in more unusual cases, spiders and snakes! More often than not, all animals are equally fascinating and dear to them.

#6. Interest in Natural Sciences

Having read this far, it comes as no surprise that people with high naturalistic intelligence take a keen interest in the natural sciences. Typically, they are the children who excel at biology in school and often pursue a related science: botany, zoology, ecology, geology, or oceanography.

Even if they don’t end up in these professions, they show their interest in the natural sciences in other ways. For instance, they may watch nature documentaries, read National Geographic on a regular basis, or seek out lectures and classes on these topics.

#7. Good at Identifying Different Species

Do you know the difference between alligators and crocodiles? Neither do we, but someone with high naturalistic intelligence might. In general, these individuals have an easier time identifying different species of flora and fauna, even when they are very similar at first glance.

That’s not to say they intrinsically know how to tell alligators and crocodiles apart. But if they’ve ever read anything about the two species (likely, given their inclinations), they probably remember the details vividly.

Moreover, their excellent observation skills come into play, spotting even minute differences.

Advantages of Having High Naturalistic Intelligence

Even if naturalistic intelligence isn’t as crucial to our survival as it used to be, it still offers several benefits to those who possess it.

Some of those advantages include:

• High empathy. Research suggests that animal lovers have developed empathy, allowing them to form stronger bonds with both animals and humans. And, as mentioned before, people with high naturalistic intelligence love animals.
• Curiosity. High naturalistic intelligence and curiosity go hand in hand—after all, how can you explore and understand the natural world if you’re not curious?
• Better academic performance. A direct result of innate curiosity is better performance at school or university, especially in the natural sciences. However, people with high naturalistic intelligence tend to do well in all subjects since they train themselves to delve deep into each topic, regardless of its nature.
• Improved motor skills. Exploring the natural world involves interacting with various elements of nature and regularly collecting and sorting samples. As a result, naturalistic intelligence doesn’t only engage your mind—it also trains your motor skills.

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How to Develop Naturalistic Intelligence + Activities

Much like the other eight types of intelligence, naturalistic intelligence can be developed with conscious effort. Even if you’re not naturally gifted in it, you can regularly perform activities to boost it. Or, if you’re a parent, you can incorporate them into your child’s life and jump-start their development.

The activities that develop naturalistic intelligence fall into the following categories:

• Getting in touch with nature. Usually, this means going out and experiencing the natural world rather than reading about it. Take a walk in your local park or a trip to a mountain to surround yourself with flora and fauna.
• Observing nature. Once you’re surrounded by nature, it’s time to observe it. Sometimes, that can mean simply looking at various flowers and insects and consciously noticing their features. But if you want to take it a step further, use magnifying glasses, microscopes, or telescopes.
• Exploring nature. Engage with nature actively by collecting samples, tending gardens, growing plants, and reading about the species you discover.
• Classifying nature. Finally, you can expand your knowledge of the natural world by classifying the samples you collect and the species you observe. This process might be difficult at first, but as you gain more knowledge from encyclopedias and other sources, it will gradually become more intuitive and enjoyable.

Now that you understand the general process of developing naturalistic intelligence, let’s dive into specific activities you could take up.

#1. Hiking

Hiking as an activity to develop naturalistic intelligence

In addition to being one of the simplest activities to perform, hiking brings you closer to nature, offering opportunities for exploration, observation, and classification.

You don’t need to put too much effort into finding hiking grounds—even a walk in your local park would suffice, as long as you’re in nature. Of course, if you’re feeling more ambitious, visiting a mountain or a nearby nature park is even better.

Aside from boosting your naturalistic intelligence, hiking improves mental health, lowers stress, and puts your mind at ease. Not to mention that it keeps you in great physical shape!

#2. Going to a Zoo

A girl visiting a zoo

What better place to get in touch with lions, tigers, and zebras than in a zoo? After all, it’s unlikely that you’ll encounter these and other exotic animals in real life. Yet seeing them on TV might not be satisfying enough.

In addition, zoos usually contain useful information on the animals that live there, as well as areas designed for children. Sometimes, those areas include petting zoos, where kids can interact with domesticated and docile animals.

Through these interactions, children learn more about the animals, increase their naturalistic intelligence, and improve empathy.

#3. Keeping a Nature Journal

Keeping a journal to boost naturalistic intelligence

As many scientists, botanists, and naturalists will tell you, nature journals are an excellent tool for keeping all your observations, thoughts, and conclusions about nature in one place.

The best part about keeping a nature journal is that there are no rules. Write down whatever observations you’ve made, even if they aren’t particularly groundbreaking. If you’re artistically inclined, you may even draw the species you find interesting.

Ultimately, the content is up to you.

Nature journals are a fun activity for children, too, especially if you provide them with coloring pencils and encourage them to press leaves, feathers, and flowers. It could become a lovely bonding time between you and your children, which is an additional bonus.

#4. Mushroom-Picking

Mushrooms in the nature

If you don’t find hiking entertaining on its own, you could set yourself an objective to keep things interesting. For example, you could head into the forest and pick mushrooms, simultaneously connecting with nature and observing and classifying its elements.

But remember not to go into it blind, especially if you’re planning to eat the mushrooms later. There are many poisonous species out there, so make sure to bring a guide with detailed information and pictures.

#5. Watching Nature-Related Documentaries

Boost your naturalistic intelligence by watching nature-related documentaries

Even when you don’t have time to interact directly with nature, you can connect with it through documentaries. National Geographic is full of them, showing fascinating stories from the deep jungle, hot savannah, icy polar caps, and eternally silent ocean depths.

Regardless of their topic, these beautifully shot documentaries with exciting narration will introduce you to species you’ve never seen before and reaffirm that our planet is indeed glorious.

#6. Photographing Nature

Beautiful landscape of nature

Do you want to interact with nature without disturbing it? If so, collecting samples might not be the ideal activity, but nature photography could be. After all, it allows you to observe from a distance and still keep souvenirs from your nature excursions.

Once you collect enough photos, you can classify them according to type or species and add them to your nature journal. And as you develop your photography skills, the most impressive photos could even find their spot on your walls!

Naturalistic Intelligence Job Options

So, which careers are recommended for people with high naturalistic intelligence? It may seem obvious, but these individuals feel most comfortable in positions that allow them to interact with the natural world.

Read more about their career options below.

#1. Zookeeper

Day after day, zookeepers interact with animals, delivering them clean water and food, cleaning their habitats, and monitoring their behavior.

Considering how much time they spend in the presence of animals, they should be animal lovers with the ability to empathize with various species and recognize their needs. This usually isn’t a requirement, but there’s no doubt that people with high naturalistic intelligence perform better.

#2. Marine Biologist

Naturalistic Intelligence Job Options - Marine Biologist

Marine biologists study oceans, research aquatic life, conduct experiments, and rescue and rehabilitate injured species. Typically, the job requires a university degree in a related field, meaning that aspiring marine biologists must dedicate years to studying the ocean.

In other words, it’s not a job for those who aren’t deeply passionate about nature—in particular aquatic life and underwater environments.

#3. Park Ranger

There’s hardly a better job for nature lovers than park ranger, a position that requires you to spend days in wildlife reserves and nature parks, ensuring visitors stay safe and the natural environment is protected.

Aside from that, park rangers frequently conduct educational tours, patrol the site, perform maintenance, and work on preventing or containing forest fires. As demanding as the job may be, it’s also very fulfilling, especially for someone with high naturalistic intelligence.

#4. Veterinarians

Helping sick animals is not a job for everyone—after all, the patients can’t speak, so it’s up to the vet to infer what is wrong from the animal’s body language. Therefore, they must develop a superb grasp of animal behavior, usually through practice and exposure.

Obviously, someone who doesn't love nature and animals will find this job far more difficult than a person with high naturalistic intelligence. Still, it can be a challenging career even with developed naturalistic skills, as being around a sick animal can be an emotionally draining experience.

Famous People With High Naturalistic Intelligence

It’s not uncommon to encounter high naturalistic intelligence among famous scientists, biologists, physicists, and astronomers of the past. The best of them have contributed significantly to our understanding of the world and our relationship with nature.

Below, we will examine a few of these people.

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin, an English biologist and naturalist from the 19th century, is best known for his theory of evolution and natural selection, which is widely accepted to this day.

Darwin’s passion for the natural sciences led him to leave university and board a ship that took him on a five-year voyage around the world. On this voyage, Darwin collected numerous samples and fossils and started developing his theories, which he’d explore further in writing.

Steve Irwin

A beloved Australian TV personality, Steve Irwin grew up around crocodiles, which taught him early on to respect and appreciate nature. That led to his future career as a zookeeper, as well as the many documentary series he hosted, educating his viewers on reptiles and their behavior.

Steve Irwin’s naturalistic intelligence shines through in his work, especially when we examine his love for animals. In fact, he wasn’t a passionate environmentalist only for show—he genuinely considered saving endangered species an essential part of his job.

Carl Sagan

Unlike the previous two examples, Carl Sagan was less focused on our planet and more on our universe and potential extraterrestrial life. Still, that doesn’t take away from his naturalistic intelligence, which is a crucial skill for astronomers and cosmologists just as much as for biologists.

Aside from his research on alien life and other planets, Carl Sagan is known for his best-selling book Cosmos, which covers astronomy, cosmology, anthropology, and many other matters in an easily digestible language. The book accompanies a miniseries of a similar nature called Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.

Challenges Associated With High Naturalistic Intelligence

Clearly, there’s a lot to be gained from possessing high naturalistic intelligence. But are there any disadvantages to it?

Generally speaking, naturalistic intelligence comes with no significant challenges. The only issue children with this type of intelligence may encounter is a lack of interest in other school subjects, which may impact their grades.

As a result, it’s important to remind them to organize their time better and avoid prioritizing only the natural sciences, even if that’s where their interests lie.

Key Takeaways

You might still be wondering why you should develop naturalistic intelligence if you’re not a naturalist or a vet. Well, working on this type of intelligence enhances your mental agility, improving your cognition, observation skills, and ability to categorize.

In addition to these obvious benefits, as environmental protection becomes a growing concern, naturalistic intelligence might once again become a crucial skill for our survival.