Get out and enjoy the winter

Warm up your long johns and dust off your snow shovel because winter is moving in. Just because the weather is making some changes, don't avoid it, embrace it. There are lots of ways to spend your time throughout this chilly season, so here's five to help you get started - for every kind of winter personality.

For the snow-pros

Should this winter be white, the snow-lovers have many options for passing time. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are great ways to get outdoors and stay active this winter. You will be too distracted by the snowflakes landing on your nose to be fickle about the below-zero wind chill.

And if your sibling has yet to return your equipment from last season, make do with the snow in your front yard. You can't deny the nostalgia attached to building a snowman or crafting a snow angel. Get your family and friends together for this outdoor fun, warm up with some hot chocolate afterwards!

The nature-lover

Looking to graduate from amateur to intermediate birder or wildlife photographer? Then get outside! Winter brings out some of the most enchanting seasonal species and scenes. From the Snowy owl to elk, snowshoe hares to red squirrels - you could catch sight of these beautiful animals, right outside your front door.

The stay-putter

Maybe you're ready for winter to come and go and you've got your computer warmed up for some serious online shopping. Not to worry, there's still ways to embrace the season without leaving the house. Donate to a local conservation organization, and show nature that you care. Visit www.giftsofnature.ca to choose from a number of conservation projects working to protect nature in your community.

The go-getter

This winter, try volunteering with a local organization that offers outdoor opportunities. The Nature Conservancy of Canada is hosting winter conservation volunteer events across the country, one of which is a day of Scotch pine removal. The December 15 event encourages locals to help remove this non-native species from NCC's Elbow Lake property in Kingston, Ontario.

"This is a great way to enjoy the fresh winter air and truly embrace the season," says the organization's conservation engagement manager, Erica Thompson. "And as a bonus, you get to take the tree home; just in time for the holidays."

The crafter

Forget dreaming about crafts while scrolling through Pinterest, start collecting pine cones and grab the peanut butter - it's the right time of year for bird feeders. Pine cone bird feeders are a fun and easy way to spend time with your friends and family, and to provide winter birds with a tasty treat. Stick the peanut butter in between each layer of the cone - et volia! Grab some string for tree-hanging and stay close by to be sure you see the birds enjoying your creation.