As a pet owner you may need to think about how your animal interacts with the environment. You may be able to trust your pet, but not necessarily nature. From snakes to hawks, rodents to insects keeping a watchful eye on your pet and its surroundings will help a lot.
Ever wonder what to do when you encounter a snake? If you are in your backyard, pull out your hose and spray the snake down. It wants to be warm not cold. If on the trail, watch it and wait for it to move. Snakes play an important role in the ecosystem by keeping down the rodent population. There is no need to harm or kill them.
Wildlife are attracted to food sources, so take care with those items you keep outside. Add trays underneath your bird feeder to limit squirrels, opossums, and rats. Take in your pet food and water at night to limit skunks, racoons, and other thirsty/hungry animals. Finally keep your trash bins closed to keep animals out of the bins and out of harm’s way.
Check out astronomy focused websites in order to know when there might be cool or unique astronomical events. For example, a lunar eclipse when the Earth’s shadow eclipses the moon. You can also look for meteor showers or a comet too! Something is always happening in the sky. Heading to a dark place may not always be necessary. Consider bookmarking these websites: https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html https://www.astronomy.com/observing/upcoming-events https://www.calacademy.org/skywatchers-guide
Begin to learn the general location of planets and stars, especially those within constellations. You can find visual landmarks in the sky. You will be able to easily identify other stars and constellations with the basics handled.