Some excellent advice from Cheshire Wildlife Trust…
During this difficult time, it’s more important than ever that we look after ourselves and each other. As your local Wildlife Trust, we want to make sure that all our communities keep connected, keep happy and keep healthy, as well as protecting the natural world we all cherish so much.
From experience as well as scientific research, we know the five natural ways to wellbeing are:
1. Being active
2. Connecting with other people
3. Giving to help your local community
4. Taking notice of nature
5. Learning something new
With the current lockdown and social distancing, it’s very hard for us all at to practise these at the moment. However, we all must make an extra effort to get as much sunshine, fresh air and nature as we can.
Whether you’re working from home, looking after children or doing chores, it’s important that you take breaks to go outside or look through your windows. Close your eyes and listen to the birds for 30 seconds. Follow the early queen bumblebees as she flies searching for food and places to nest. Take notice as the plants begin to sprout new life seemingly overnight. These things are all going to help manage stress, re-energise and refocus your busy mind.
Exercise is also great and one of the reasons we can leave our homes each day if we’re able. Whether it’s a walk, a spot of gardening or a run around your local park (whilst maintaining safe distances from others), anything that raises your heart rate will help. Outside on a balcony or inside with a window open, wherever you feel happiest will make the world of difference.
We’re continuing to send out our weekly e-newsletter to bring a little joy and inspiration into your inbox, as well as daily posts on social media. Our social media channels are brilliant online communities to share photos, ideas, thoughts and videos with other likeminded people. This is a really important way of not feeling alone.
We also have a host of online activities you can do at home or in your surrounding outdoor space. Below are just three to get you started.
Remember – share with us anything ‘wild’ you get up to, to inspire others.
1. Provide water
Despite the rainfall of last month, puddles and bird baths are already starting to dry up. Clean and refill your birdbaths, or simply put out a bowl of water on the ground for mammals as well as birds. Just make sure it’s near a window so you can enjoy all the visitors stopping by for a drink.
2. Build a bird box
Got some old untreated wood lying about the place? Using a few tools, you can upcycle it into a shiny new bird nesting box. Take a look at our website for step-by-step instructions.
3. Enjoy your magazines
We were just able to get out the latest issue of Your WildLife and Wildlife Watch to our existing members before we were asked to stay at home. Therefore, your latest magazines should be with you next week, ready for you to flick through, learn some new facts and read about what you are making possible for local wildlife through your vital support.
Send us through pictures of you enjoying the magazines to social media and let us know what you think.
Keep in touch
Become our friend on Facebook, join in the conversation on Twitter or find out more about our work on our website.
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