We appreciate that staying home this spring/summer is not what any of us had planned for, however we all know the importance of the social distancing restrictions and following the government advice. #StayHomeSaveLives
Please see the government's advice on access to green spaces during COVID-19 outbreak: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-guidance-on-access-to-green-spaces
For those of you who feel you are missing out on the flourish of nature that comes with the warmer weather, fear not, there are many ways we can stay connected with nature even during lockdown. Thankfully, there are many organisations who share our enthusiasm for the natural world and have made it their mission to help us enjoy the seasons from our own homes. Here we want to share some of the fantastic resources out there for learning, exploring, and enjoying nature either from your garden, local walk or computer screen.
Learn a new skill
With an unusual amount of spare time on our hands I'm sure many of us are taking up new hobbies and revisiting previously neglected ones. It's the perfect time to spend time learning, reading and enjoying things that are important to you. Here are a few ideas of ways to get closer to nature while learning a new skill.
Flora identification
Start taking a closer look at the wildflowers which are all too often dismissed as 'weeds'. Begin by looking in your garden, in the cracks in the pavement or on your local walk.
BSBI have good quality information and links to guides for beginners who are starting out with plant identification.
Also see their plant-related activities page here: https://bsbi.org/activities-2020
Discover The Wild have a free collection of different ID sheets which you can download.
Birdwatching
Do you have a birdfeeder in your garden? Or a communal area where you can spread some bird seed? Even just a window will do. Birdwatching is one of the easiest hobbies you can take up, yet it is still very rewarding. Once you learn to recognise the common birds in your area you will soon spot the rarer visitors, and maybe even have the joy of seeing a family build a nest and raise chicks.
RSPB has some great resources to help you identify birds as well as a birdsong identifier page.
Wildlife Gardening
There are many ways that we can create spaces for wildlife in our own back gardens. Here are some guides on how to start rewilding your garden this year.
RSPBs guide to gardening for wildlife
BBC Gardeners' World - How to create a wildlife garden
An article from The Royal Horticultural Society for encouraging wildlife into your garden.
While in your own garden, are you noticing any ornamental plants showing signs of invasiveness? Plant Alert is a project aimed at discovering which garden plants have the potential to become invasive and problematic in future. Upload your photos and records to the Plant Alert website.
Activities for families
The RSPB website has some great activities and online games to play to keep the family active and learning about nature.
RSPB activities & online games.
WWF also has a website full of games, quizzes and creative activities.
Wildlife Watch is a group run by The Wildlife Trusts to provide educational resources about wildlife to its junior members. The website is full of resources, activities and games all free to access and download.
Wildlife Webcams
A great way to watch different species of birds during breeding season from all across the UK.
Take part in projects
Garden Wildflower Hunt is a BSBI project specifically designed so you can easily take part from your home. Share your findings on their website and help find out the ecology and distribution of wildflowers in gardens across the UK. The aim is also to help people improve their ID skills.
Volunteer to record a map square near you for Atlas 2020, which is a BSBI project aiming to produce the third in a series of Atlas of the British and Irish flora, the first of which was published in 1962. This is a great way to contribute and improve your identification skills. The National Plant Monitoring Scheme is another similar volunteer opportunity to get involved in.
Share with social media
#wildflowerhour - Every Sunday at 8-9pm it is Wildflower Hour, where people can post across social media pictures of wild plants that they have spotted during the previous week. All social media platforms are doing this but Twitter seems to me the most active place for it.
#vitaminN - This hashtag provides the daily dose of nature we need to keep us healthy, and it’s even more important while we are housebound. Simply post a nature related thought or picture and have a scroll through other people's posts for your daily wildlife dose.
Most importantly, stay safe.
Reserve Warden
Charlotte Pink
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