So many of my favorite quotes hinge on the energizing, transformative beauty of spring. But Rilke’s words might be my favorite: “It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
I always come back to poetry in moments of wanting—when I’m searching for language that can hold what I’m feeling. And in May, that feeling is unmistakable. The season has fully arrived: longer days, vibrant blooms, and warmer air that draws you out and keeps you there. There’s an alchemy to
So many of my favorite quotes hinge on the energizing, transformative beauty of spring. But Rilke’s words might be my favorite: “It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
I always come back to poetry in moments of wanting—when I’m searching for language that can hold what I’m feeling. And in May, that feeling is unmistakable. The season has fully arrived: longer days, vibrant blooms, and warmer air that draws you out and keeps you there. There’s an alchemy to this time of year. Something shifts. I’m the same person, but I feel newly awake to my life, to my routines, and to all the small things that suddenly feel worth noticing again.
31 Things to Do in May to Welcome the Warmer Season
May, more than any other month, invites us to begin again. And with it comes the perfect opportunity to fill our days with things that feel as good as they are simple. Think of this as your invitation: 31 ways to lean into the season, romanticize your days, and make May feel truly yours.
Step Outside (and Stay Awhile)
May changes how you spend your time. The light lingers, the air softens, and suddenly your evenings stretch a little longer than planned. Even the smallest plans—a walk, a farmer’s market run, a last-minute picnic—start to feel like something more.
1. Plan a backyard garden party. String up lights, set a simple table, and let fresh blooms do the decorating. Start with a few easy outdoor dinner party menu ideas to set the tone.
2. Take a sunrise or sunset hike. Choose one golden hour this week and follow it.
3. Host an outdoor movie night. Blankets, snacks, and a projector are all you need.
4. Organize a neighborhood picnic. Keep it potluck-style and low effort—it’s the easiest way to build community.
5. Try a new water activity. Paddleboard, kayak, or just float (maybe my favorite?). May is your moment to jump in.
6. Play tennis! As a collegiate player, I’ll argue: it’s the best of the racquet sports. (Ping pong is a close second.)
7. Go on a wildflower walk. Bring a basket or a guidebook and make an afternoon of it.
8. Visit your local farmer’s market. Let what you find—strawberries, asparagus, herbs—shape your week’s menu. Make a note of the in-season produce and keep your sights set on filling your basket with exactly that.
Gather, Cook, Celebrate
This time of year lends itself to gathering. Meals move outside, ingredients feel fresher, and hosting becomes something you ease into rather than plan to perfection. A few thoughtful details go a long way.
9. Host a Mother’s Day brunch at home. Keep it simple, seasonal, and a little celebratory.
10. Try a new non-alcoholic drink. Start with NA recipes that feel just as festive as your favorite cocktail.
11. Set a signature Memorial Day table. Keep it relaxed but intentional—linen napkins, something seasonal in a vase, and a menu that feels easy to share. Get all the table-setting inspo you need.
12. Make a spring salad worth craving. Think crisp greens, herbs, something creamy, something crunchy. These are the kinds of salads you’ll come back to all season.
13. Pack a picnic and head to the park. Assign dishes, bring a blanket, and keep it casual.
14. Plan a Friday night al fresco dinner. A few friends, a simple table, and made-for-golden-hour recipes that don’t overcomplicate things.
15. Create a summer dessert board. Fresh fruit and bite-sized sweets are all you need.
16. Host a cookbook dinner club. Pick a book (these are Camille’s favorite cookbooks), assign recipes, and let the inspiration flow.
Refresh Your Space & Style
There’s a natural urge this time of year to shift your surroundings. Windows open, drawers get cleared, and small updates start to change how your home feels day to day. Even a single project can reset the tone.
17. Try a one-week home reset. Focus on one small area each day and let the progress build.
18. Make spring cleaning feel lighter. Set a timer, play music, and keep it moving. Decluttering these six areas of your home makes the task way less intimidating (and so much more joyful).
20. Build your warm-weather capsule wardrobe. Focus on pieces that feel easy, repeatable, and entirely you. Our style editor shares tips for curating your dream spring closet.
21. Create an outdoor nook. A chair, a throw, and a quiet corner can become your favorite place to just… be.
Focus on Feeling Better
May brings a softer sort of reset. Your energy returns, and it feels like there’s more room to check in with what you actually need. Small shifts tend to stick the most.
22. Spring clean your mind. Clear the mental clutter. This 7-day mental reset can create more clarity, focus, and ease in your day.
23. Start walking outside without your phone. Trust me on this: it’ll quickly become a habit you look forward to.
24. Book a massage or spa treatment—no occasion needed.
Some things this month are worth doing simply because they sound fun. A new show, a spontaneous plan, a change of scenery… These are small choices that shift your mood in ways you don’t overthink.
27. Start a new show and let yourself fully unwind into it. I’m loving season 2 of Your Friends and Neighbors. If you’re not into watching hours of Jon Hamm and James Marsden—I’m sorry, I can’t relate.
28. Visit a local gallery, pop-up, or art show. I’ve found that one of the simplest joys in life is to put yourself in the path of novelty. You never know what you might uncover or connect with.
29. Plan a Memorial Day weekend getaway. It doesn’t have to be far to feel like a reset.
30. Build your summer playlist. Something you’ll want to play on repeat all season long.
31. Make your summer bucket list. Write it down, return to it often, and see what unfolds. (Hint: revisit your vision board for an idea of what you want more of this season.)
This post was last updated on May 1, 2026, to include new insights.
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With National Volunteer Week now underway, it’s an ideal time to reflect on the role people play in protecting Ontario’s biodiversity. Community science is one meaningful way to get involved. And as spring returns to Ontario, pollinators begin to reappear in fields, forests, wetlands, and gardens making them a natural group of species to observe for community science programs.
While these sightings may feel routine, they are becoming less predictable for many species. Pollinator populations ar
With National Volunteer Week now underway, it’s an ideal time to reflect on the role people play in protecting Ontario’s biodiversity. Community science is one meaningful way to get involved. And as spring returns to Ontario, pollinators begin to reappear in fields, forests, wetlands, and gardens making them a natural group of species to observe for community science programs.
While these sightings may feel routine, they are becoming less predictable for many species. Pollinator populations are declining due to habitat loss, pesticide exposure (especially neonicotinoids), disease, invasive species, and climate change. These threats are reshaping where species can survive and fragmenting habitats that once supported stable populations. Getting involved as a volunteer observer is one of the most direct ways to support pollinator conservation in Ontario.
Pollinators — such as bees, butterflies, moths, and even birds — are important indicators of ecosystem health. They support plant reproduction and help sustain food webs across the province and country. Because many species depend on specific plants or habitats, even small environmental changes can have significant impacts.
This also makes pollinators especially valuable for community science. Each observation helps researchers track biodiversity changes across Ontario over time.
Pollinators at Risk in Ontario
Under the Endangered Species Act, 2007, many species at risk received legal protection. However, Ontario’s new Species Conservation Act, 2025, introduced through Bill 5, changes how species are protected and may reduce protections for some, including certain pollinators.
Monarch (Endangered in Canada / Special Concern in Ontario)
Herbicides and insecticides reduce milkweed, a crucial piece of the Monarch’s breeding habitat. Their long-distance migration also exposes them to threats such as habitat loss and declining wildflower availability.
Rusty-patched Bumble Bee (Endangered)
Once common in southern Ontario, this species has declined sharply. The last confirmed observation records in Canada come from two Ontario Parks, Pinery Provincial Park (2009) and St. Williams Conservation Reserve (2000).
Mottled Duskywing (Endangered)
This butterfly depends on rare oak woodlands and plants such as the New Jersey Tea and Prairie Redroot. These habitats are limited and fragmented, making populations vulnerable.
An early spring pollinator of wild plants and crops such as blueberries and apples. This bumble bee’s abundance has decreased in Ontario and is associated with habitat loss, pesticide exposure, climate change, and disease.
Contribute your Sightings
If you spot these or other species, you can contribute to community science projects:
You can also join the global community of iNaturalist users to share and verify observations. The Natural Heritage Information Centre has a Rare Species of Ontario project.
The Ethics of Observation
Observe wildlife responsibly to avoid disturbance and ensure useful data. Follow A Nature Viewer’s Code of Ethics and be aware that many species are protected under Ontario’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and Canada’s Species at Risk Act.
Every observation matters. Whether you notice pollinators in your garden, birds overhead, or frogs in a wetland, your sightings contribute to a better understanding of Ontario’s ecosystems—and how they are changing.
This week on The PetaPixel Podcast, the team discusses a week's worth of news, including a controversial story where a Gallery in New York sold an AI-generated, colorized version of an Ansel Adams classic, the Sony a7 V's latest firmware update, and what might be the rarest digital camera ever made.
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This week on The PetaPixel Podcast, the team discusses a week's worth of news, including a controversial story where a Gallery in New York sold an AI-generated, colorized version of an Ansel Adams classic, the Sony a7 V's latest firmware update, and what might be the rarest digital camera ever made.
2026 has been quite a year for Chris Pratt, who has already starred in one of the biggest sci-fi box office flops of the year with Mercy. Despite the star power of Pratt and his co-star, Rebecca Ferguson, the film failed to recoup its $60 million budget at the box office. It has since found redemption as one of the most popular titles in the world on Prime Video this year. Pratt then turned things around with the highly anticipated premiere of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the sequel to his 2023
2026 has been quite a year for Chris Pratt, who has already starred in one of the biggest sci-fi box office flops of the year with Mercy. Despite the star power of Pratt and his co-star, Rebecca Ferguson, the film failed to recoup its $60 million budget at the box office. It has since found redemption as one of the most popular titles in the world on Prime Video this year. Pratt then turned things around with the highly anticipated premiere of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the sequel to his 2023 video game adaptation that grossed over $1.3 billion at the box office. The sequel was also on track to hit the $1 billion mark, and despite being added to VOD platforms like Prime Video somewhat early, the film still reached the colossal milestone just a few weeks ago.
A series adaptation of Andrew Mayne’s “The Naturalist” book series is in active development at ABC. The series is described as a procedural that follows a “brilliant but socially estranged biologist who uses the laws of animal behavior to hunt human predators.” The twist is that the protagonist has his own dark secrets, and he […]
A series adaptation of Andrew Mayne’s “The Naturalist” book series is in active development at ABC. The series is described as a procedural that follows a “brilliant but socially estranged biologist who uses the laws of animal behavior to hunt human predators.” The twist is that the protagonist has his own dark secrets, and he […]
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