Lockdown week 2: new ways to be wild
We have just got through our first week of Lockdown in the UK and considering the situation I’m so far feeling fairly positive about it. My flat is sparkling clean and I’m actually getting to know some of the people in my building (safely via social media of course)! I have also, through various work forums and social media, found no end of activities to keep me occupied.
In my previous blog I shared ten ways to have a wild isolation without a garden which I hope some of you have found helpful. Since then humanity has risen to the challenge of Lockdown and come up with all sorts of new and creative activities to help keep us connected with nature. As such it would be remiss of me not to write a follow up blog sharing some of the innovative ways that people and organisations are bringing the wild to us while we are unable to get to the wild!
Get arty
Art is a really great way to get you focusing on and observing nature, and you can do this directly from nature itself or from books, photos, TV or online so it is accessible to everyone.
To get people taking the time to look closely at nature, the Natural History Museum has started a #NatureDrawingClub on Twitter. Each week has a theme such as ‘birds’ or ‘plants’ which is announced on Friday afternoon. You then have the week to produce an artwork based on that theme – this could be drawing, painting, sculpture, crafts or whatever you like – and upload a photo of it to Twitter. It doesn’t matter what the ‘quality’ of the output is, they are keen to see all the different ways the topic has been interpreted.
I like cartoons as a way to record little scenes I’ve see in nature that made me smile. I’m really not a natural at drawing though so I’m trying a cartoon workshop for beginners by world renowned cartoonist Pete McKee!
Go for a wellness wander
The Cambridge University Botanic Gardens are doing a virtual, weekly walk around the garden. These are 10 to 15 minute videos walking around the gardens highlighting some of the sights and sounds of spring.
Visit the Zoo
Last week Chester Zoo did a virtual zoo day with zookeepers showing off a variety of species. This can now be seen on YouTube and the zoo are taking requests for species you might like to see on the next tour. All the details of these tours can be found on Chester Zoo facebook page.
Take the wild alphabet photo challenge
@365DaysWild are challenging us to take a photo of something wild, either inside or outside of our homes, that starts with that days letter of the alphabet. These can then be shared on Twitter using #wildalphabet.
Birdwatch with an expert
The RSPB are running a #BreakfastBirdwatch on Twitter between 8 and 9 am during which they have an expert available to answer any questions you might have about identifying birds or their song.
Join the self-isolating bird club
Super-keen on birds? Chris Packham has set up The Self-Isolating bird club across Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This is a place for sharing sightings, photos and videos; as well as… “live streaming every day (give or take) for the next few weeks with challenges and top things to look out for local to you.”
Become a researcher
Ok, so this one isn’t actually a new Lockdown innovation, but it’s pretty amazing so I thought I would share it anyway. Zooniverse is a platform that facilitates ‘people-powered research’ meaning you are able to help with real academic research projects by looking through images or videos and answering some simple questions about them. There is a selection of nature-themed projects you can help with from videos of raccoons in Wyoming to camera-trap photos of wildlife in the Serengeti.
This is just a handful of activities that have come to my attention and I’m sure there are plenty more out there. Please do share any others you come across in the comments below or tag me in them on Twitter @natinthewild. Good luck making it through Lockdown week 2 and I’ll see you on the other side!
