Grayson Chase
When we’re kids, growing up feels simple: we want the freedom to decide how many Oreos count as breakfast, how long we can stay in the lake before our lips turn blue, and whether sleep is worth missing a single adventure.
Time is better spent hunting “treasure” in Grandma’s crawlspace or staging a naval battle in the rainwater trench left by Dad’s tire. But somewhere along the way, that clarity dulls. We stop noticing the wonder hiding in ordinary things, and we forget how effortlessly curiosity once came.
That’s why adults who keep a childlike sense of wonder stand out. They move through the world awake to it.
Grayson and his mom, Cara
Little Grayson is one of those people – a young naturalist who makes it easy to remember what genuine fascination feels like.
Many adults might admire his easy courage. Petting a polyphemus moth, handling a ring‑necked snake, or catching a determined praying mantis are everyday activities for him – guided more by curiosity than fear.
He “is naturally fearless,” said his mom, Cara Chase.
Grayson loves insects and animals because they’re “cool,” Cara said. He watches how they move and live, and he’s drawn to what makes each one different – “something to learn from.”
That openness also comes with a parent’s job: teaching him to recognize what’s dangerous and to treat every creature with respect. “We try to guide him in a way that keeps both him and the wildlife safe,” she said.
Grayson shares that approach on his YouTube channel, Catching Up To Nature With Grayson, offering bite‑sized lessons from the woods and fields and showing that attention and respect can go hand in hand.
In Highlands, he’s become a small but spirited naturalist, and his love of wildlife runs in the family. Cara says Grayson’s grandfather and great‑grandfather passed their knowledge down to her first, during a childhood spent barefoot and outdoors.
“That connection to the land really stayed with me,” Cara recalled. “The childhood I hoped to create for my kids was rooted in that same freedom – being outside, getting dirty, learning through that experience.”
“We’re continually amazed by the beauty and wildlife around us, and we feel so fortunate to call this mountain home,” she added. “Highlands is such a special place because of its rich biodiversity. Living here has given Grayson endless opportunities to discover, learn, and share the incredible diversity of nature right outside our door. That’s really why he’s so passionate about the outdoors.”
Catching Up To Nature With Grayson is playful, but it’s also quietly educational. Grayson loves sharing facts he’s picked up from encyclopedias or discovered on his own. His younger sister, Opal, doesn’t share his fearlessness, but watching him has helped her meet the outdoors with a little less fear.
Watching a small boy happily hold a spider, it’s hard not to feel your perspective shift. What once seemed frightening begins to look, instead, like one more small wonder.
“Grayson and Opal have absolutely changed the way we (parents) see the world,” Cara said. “They slow us down, make us notice what we would’ve walked past, and remind us how much there is to learn when you stay curious.”
Viewers can expect the same reminder: the vivid world of childhood hasn’t disappeared – we’ve just stopped paying attention.
Favorites Count: 0