Safety And Comfort: The Quiet Catch Cards
The Quiet Catch cards guide you to notice the world around you using your senses — using touch, smell, sound and sight. These cards are a guide for noticing your surroundings, not a substitute for your own judgement, local knowledge, or site-specific safety rules. Always follow the guidance, signage, staff instructions, or site rules of the place you’re in — a park, beach, vessel, or trail may have its own conditions that you’re required to adhere to, and that take priority over anything written here. Exercise care, check before you touch, sit, or step, and take responsibility for your own safety and that of anyone in your care.
A few common-sense precautions keep that experience safe and enjoyable, wherever you’re doing it.
Basics before you start
- Comfortable clothing and shoes suited to a gentle walk
- Water bottle to stay hydrated
- Hat and sunscreen for sun protection
- Insect repellent for mozzies and midges
- Mobile phone for emergencies
The general rule: look before you touch, sit, or step
Most of what can go wrong outdoors comes down to missing one habit: checking before you commit.
- Check before you touch. Plants, leaves, bark, shells, and logs can host insects, spiders, poisonous creatures, or irritant sap. Look closely first — if anything looks unfamiliar, observe rather than handle it.
- Check before you sit. Rocks, logs and long grass can shelter snakes, ants, leeches, or ticks. Give the spot a visual once-over before settling in.
- Check before you step. Uneven ground, submerged roots, and loose rocks are easy to miss when you’re absorbed in noticing something else.
- If you’re unsure what something is — plant, fungus, animal, insect — don’t touch it. Admire with your eyes instead.
- Leave wildlife alone. Observe from a distance. Never feed, corner, or attempt to move an animal, even a small or slow one.
- Check what’s out there before you go. Look up the wildlife common to your location and season, and know how to respond calmly if you encounter it — most incidents happen when people are surprised, not when they’re prepared.
By location
Forest: Watch for uneven roots and fallen branches underfoot. Check bark and leaf litter before touching — this is prime habitat for insects, leeches, and spiders. Ticks and leeches are common in undergrowth; check yourself after your walk.
Beach: Sand can hide sharp shells, broken glass, or jellyfish/stingers (especially after onshore winds) — check before you sit or dig. Be aware of tide times and rip currents if you’re near the water’s edge.
Park: Well-maintained but still outdoors: check garden beds and low shrubs before touching, and be mindful of irrigation-soaked or slippery grass. Some birds swoop; stay alert and leave them be or leave.
Garden: Some cultivated plants are toxic to touch or taste. Wash your hands after handling soil or foliage, and check for bees around flowering plants before getting close.
River: Banks can be slippery or unstable — stay back from the edge. Water levels and currents can change quickly, even in shallow-looking rivers.
Snow: Surfaces can hide ice, uneven terrain, or water underneath. Dress in layers and know that cold slows your body’s warning signs of fatigue and chill — take breaks before you feel you need one. Stay near people and take heed of weather warnings including avalanches.
Wetlands: Ground can be boggy or unstable underfoot. Mosquitoes are more common here — repellent matters. Stay on marked paths where they exist.
Island: Combines coastal and bushland conditions — bring both sun and insect protection, and be aware of tide times if any part of your route is beach-adjacent.
Ocean: Hold handrails on deck, especially in swell or when moving between areas. Keep well back from railings when leaning to look at something. Watch your footing on wet or metal surfaces, which can be slippery even when they look dry. Know your muster point and safety briefing before you need it. If scanning the water for wildlife, be mindful of sun and wind exposure on open decks.
Night Sky:
- Stay near people and be aware of your surroundings
- Let your eyes adjust to the dark for a few minutes before relying on them — avoid bright phone screens if you can.
- Bring a torch or use your phone’s torch for the walk to and from your spot, even if you switch it off once settled.
- Wildlife is more active and less visible after dark — stay alert to sounds nearby and check surroundings before sitting.
- Choose a familiar or well-lit route if you’re new to an area at night, and let someone know where you’ll be.
A note on touch, smell, hearing and sight prompts
Where a card invites you to touch, smell, or get close to something, use your judgement in the moment — if it doesn’t look or feel right, skip that prompt and move to the next sense instead. The activity works just as well through observation alone.
In an emergency
In an emergency, call your local emergency number — 000 in Australia, 911 in the US and Canada, 999 in the UK, 111 in New Zealand, or 112 across much of Europe. If you’re unsure whether a situation is an emergency, treat it as one.