Long time hiker, first time gardener

Connecting with nature has never been hard for me. I'm one of the lucky people who had access to a car for most of my life and so could get out of the city and into less developed areas relatively frequently. I grew up with a small woodland next to my house and ran around it barefoot as a child, watching ferns unfold and picking huckleberries in the springtime. I then went to a university based in a rural area, where walks in the woods were part of everyday life, and as an adult I've been exploring the hiking trails that the UK has to offer for years now.

Connecting to nature on a trail means seeing panoramas you've never seen, encountering wild animals you wouldn't see in your back yard, marvelling over trees as tall as skyscrapers or witnessing the power of the oceans as they erode the rocks on which you stand. But what happens when you can't make that connection anymore? What happens when you're told to stay at home, to stick to your suburban neighbourhood in the Fens of East Anglia, as flat as flat can be?

I'm still counting myself lucky. I live in a house with a modest garden that we had just remodelled, so we've had a lot of planting and painting and prepping to do before it's ready for summer. This project has really saved my mental health during this time. It's physical, it's outdoors, and there's measurable progress, not to mention a steep learning curve.



I've planted a bed with hellebore and ferns that reminds me of my beloved Pacific Northwest woodlands, and another with bulbs that will bloom at different times of year in shades of purple. I've planted strawberries, blueberries and a little herb garden outside the kitchen door, and my partner is tending a vegetable patch using the guide Veg in One Bed. Already we've harvested several salads and about a dozen radishes, and we're looking forward to supplementing our meals with vegetables we've grown at home for the first time in my adult life. There is something so gratifying about that, perhaps not as much as climbing a mountain and seeing the view from the top, but still, gardening rewards patience with a feeling of deep satisfaction.

But for those who don't have a garden of their own, there are still ways of connecting with nature, whether it's identifying the trees in your local park using the Woodland Trust Tree ID app, learning the names of flowers you walk past with the Seek app, or becoming an urban botany teacher by writing the names of plants on the sidewalk in chalk. I am thoroughly enjoying the efforts of those doing the latter on the More Than Weeds Twitter account, as it's helping me connect with nature in a totally unexpected way. Lately I've been looking more closely at the flowers and plants growing out of pavements and brick walls all around me as I take my daily walks around my neighbourhood.

If you feel like you're missing nature due to the #UKlockdown, and are able to go out briefly, take a moment to observe your surroundings. Even if you live in a city, try to spot the small plants growing on pavements. These "weeds" are part of our #everydaynature! #morethanweeds pic.twitter.com/5OTPCUcE26

— Morethanweeds (@morethanweeds) March 24, 2020

Of course I am sad about the situation in the world, for the sake of all those suffering and for my own more petty disappointments; in an alternate timeline I was to be hiking the West Highland Way with my brother and sister-in-law right now. But this has been a chance for me to connect with nature in a new way, by growing my own food and by learning the names of the unassuming but beautiful plants that make their homes in our built environment when given half a chance. Our urban obsession with tidiness is robbing us of miniature meadows all around us and I hope that after this we will be a little less quick with the lawn mower on verges and in parks. Nature thrives when we leave it alone, even in the most built-up of places.

Move into May with National Walking Month

This article first appeared in the Cambridge University Environment and Energy newsletter.

May 2020 is National Walking Month and, given that it’s currently one of the government-sanctioned forms of daily exercise in the UK, walking may already be a regular and cherished part of your day. If you're yet to get into walking however, or are just starting out, I’m here to share some ideas about taking those first steps, finding walks local to you and creating adventure close to home.

You don’t need an Instagram-worthy mountain view to enjoy walking. In fact, it’s one of the most accessible ways of moving your body whilst gaining the wellbeing benefits of being outside and clearing your mind. In her book Wanderlust, Rebecca Solnit says, “Walking allows us to be in our bodies and in the world without being made busy by them. It leaves us free to think without being wholly lost in our thoughts.” Especially now, when many of our normal forms of exercise and ways of being in the world have changed, walking is something that could help us reconnect to ourselves and our surroundings in difficult times.

Most of us know how good walking can be for mental and physical health. But if you’ve been meaning to start and haven’t yet been able to work it into your lockdown routine, consider only listening to a favourite audiobook or podcast when you’re out for a walk, extending your trip to the shops by taking a detour to the local park, or setting yourself a scavenger hunt. Logging walks through the Cambridge staff running group on Strava or another virtual club can be a great way of staying motivated by being part of a community of like-minded people. Online resources like Walks with Wheelchairs and The Outdoor Guide provide information about wheelchair and pushchair accessible trails so that those with impaired mobility can also enjoy the benefits of getting outside. Please bear in mind that some managers of popular trails like the National Trust are either recommending against or outright banning use of their trails at the time of writing, so check before you go.



If you’re already a keen walker like I am, you might be feeling frustrated at cancelled spring hiking plans, but now is a good time to reconnect with what you really love about hiking in the first place, like the meditative feel of walking and observing nature. Those things are just as available to you on a walk around your local park as they are on a remote trail. When you’re stuck indoors you could use the time to start planning your next dream walk by looking over guidebooks and maps, or researching gear and testing it out at home. If you prefer digital ways of planning, I’ve used both ViewRanger and All Trails to plan walks, both of which have crowd-sourced reviews and accessibility information about the trails. You can save a list of your favourites for future adventures. Apps like these are also a great way of finding new places to walk near you.

If you can’t wait until the lockdown ends, the Ordnance Survey Get Outside champions have some great ideas for scratching your adventure itch without roaming too far from home. How about taking part in a step challenge with your family, colleagues or your whole Department? The British Heart Foundation have shared a resource giving the equivalent footsteps it takes to virtually climb landmarks, like Snowdon, Big Ben and even Mount Everest, using your own stairs!

Whenever you do go out and walk, please stay safe and ensure that you are following the government’s latest guidelines. The Ramblers also have some great guidance on walking responsibly in the current situation, including avoiding touching gates and railings with your hands where possible and timing your walk to avoid crowds. Wherever your feet or wheels take you, take a deep breath, enjoy the time you get outdoors and remember to look after your local communities and ecosystems!

Further resources:

Ordnance Survey Greenspace: OS have mapped green spaces across the UK and it’s a great way of identifying new places near you that might make a pleasant walk.
Living Streets: This group campaigns for greater access to pedestrian friendly urban spaces based on the wellbeing benefits of walking. They also have great ideas for urban walks.
Just Walk: As the founders of National Walking Month, British Heart Foundation have resources to help you set walking challenges and raise money at the same time, a great way to get excited about walking.
Ramblers: The UK’s largest walking organisation, the Ramblers, have plenty of resources to help you plan walks, as well as advocating for the protection of pedestrian access in the countryside.