Does nature feed hope in you? Plants, trees and wildlife keep me upbeat and Dara McAnulty says it all so much better than I could. Do read or listen to Diary of a Young Naturalist and share it too. It’s balm for better days. The following is an extract from an article in Big Issue magazine where Dara also tells about how his sister and his Mum survived Covid:

“Sky, so there’s birds in flight and clouds and weather. A tiny bucket pond, so there are tadpoles, nymphs, larvae and daphnia. Bird feeders, so there are avian visitors to meticulously record and observe with no rush. We let our little patch of grass shine with dandelions, so we have bees and butterflies. Our tiny nature reserve which invites nature in and allows it to thrive is food for the soul of this young naturalist. I can retreat and momentarily forget about everything else that is happening in the world. This period of isolation, it’s frustrating yes, but it’s necessary and so to fill my life with purpose I am recording videos for social media on what I’m seeing. Red kites over our house. Bullfinches feeding on our dandelion seeds. The metamorphosis of our tadpoles. The discovering of what we are capable of enduring. The missing of grandparents and friends. The absence of playing children in the streets. The loss of the ease in which we move through our days. Going to the shop is now a military operation. The natural world, though, is constant. It is ever present and for me, now more than ever it is keeping me going. ” (Big Issue on-line magazine)

Diary of a Young Naturalist published by Little Toller, £16

Does Nature help you cope? If so how, please share.