17/04/2020
Well, the calendar says it’s Friday again, which means the weekend is knocking on the door and asking you to come out and play – yay! (but also, no – social distancing!). It also means that another week is drawing to a close, another week the vast majority of us watched slowly pass by while we remained confined in our homes. Alas, such is Life in Lockdown (Netflix’s hottest new reality series… just kidding!).
All jokes aside, the fact of the matter is a lot of us are desperate for some good, something positive, some sliver of hope we can cling to – a life raft in the raging sea that is this global pandemic. And searching for that good in the news often feels like an exercise in futility, as more or less all news currently falls into one of three categories – bad, worse, and ‘oh-my-god-no-this-can’t-be-happening’.
But there is one undeniably positive story to emerge from all of this chaos: the resurgence and resilience of nature.
We humans may be stuck inside but animals around the world are delighting in the sudden tranquility outside – some are even reclaiming parts of the habitats they “lost” (we stole them).
Depending on where you look, you’ll find dolphins (Italy) and monkeys (Thailand) and deer (Japan) – oh my!
But don’t get too excited, Dorothy: it remains as important as ever that we continue to practice social distancing and .
So this weekend, take advantage of the beautiful weather to get some sun and fresh air. Stop for a couple minutes and take in all the nature surrounding you.
Appreciate its beauty, its bounty.
We certainly will be.
Also on our agenda this weekend? Birdwatching!
The Guardian just published this nifty guide and, really, it’s the perfect activity for right now. You don’t have to travel, you get to connect with nature, and it’s a chance to get to know your migratory neighbors. Spring is in full bloom – so they are back are taking over, commandeering trees, building nests, calling out for mates.
And what better way to get to know them than through the songs they sing…?
Even better – make a fun game out of matching the song to its winged warbler.
How many can you name?!