Connecting with nature
There are still plenty of ways to connect to wildlife during COVID-19
1 SPOT NEOTROPICAL BIRDS
There’s plenty of British birdlife to keep us busy in quarantine, but for something more exotic, sit back and enjoy The Birders
– a 50-minute documentary film that celebrates the dazzling birdlife of northern Colombia, and follows birder and biologist Diego Calderón Franco as he sets off on a road trip to find it. For lockdown, the film-makers have added a checklist of 100 species to identify. No binoculars required, but Cornell’s Merlin bird ID app may help with those tricky tanagers. wherenext.com/birders
2 EXPLORE THE GREAT TROSSACHS FOREST
For a change from your regular daily walk, lose yourself in the 'Highlands in miniature' – a 4,400ha expanse of lochs, rugged hills and woodland north of Glasgow. This 360° virtual tour enables you to zoom down to the grass and rocks then pan back up to admire the view from all angles – and in all four seasons. bit.ly/trossachs360
3 FIND RAPTORS WITH CHRIS SPERRING
Hawk and Owl Trust conservation officer and renowned expert Chris is producing a series of short Facebook videos sharing the birds he encounters on his daily walk.
Facebook.com/ hawkandowltrust
BROWSE SOME WILDLIFE ART
The Pinkfoot Gallery in Norfolk is offering free, 10-minute gallery tours via FaceTime. Exhibitions for May include linocuts by Robert Gillmor, and The Seal Coast, a collection of paintings by Rachel Lockwood. pinkfootgallery.co.uk
5 COUNT GARDEN MAMMALS
If lockdown is finding you staring out of your windows more than usual, you’re more likely to spot mammal visitors. Send your sightings to the PTES Living with Mammals survey. bit.ly/ptessurvey
6 HELP THE BTO
The BTO is offering free access (membership is usually £17) to its renowned Garden BirdWatch survey, which has been running since 1995. This weekly citizen science project has 11,000 participants, whose data reveals the changing fortunes of back-yard wildlife. bto.org
7 LEARN TO COUNT BATS IN CHURCHES
The Bat Conservation Trust is seeking volunteers to survey roosting bats in 100 churches across the country. While lockdown continues, the charity plans to deliver the training online, along with mini lectures and information videos on social media. bit.ly/batsurveys
8 JOIN CHRIS PACKHAM’S SELF-ISOLATING BIRD CLUB
Even those taking isolation to the next level can’t have missed the fact that the Springwatch presenter and his step-daughter Megan are spending lockdown sharing the wildlife of their New Forest home with the outside world. Catch the duo live on Twitter at 9am every morning for nature chat, and become part of a passionate online community. @SIBirdClub #wildmorningswithchris
9 FIND WONDER IN WEEDS
More Than Weeds, run by Sophie Leguil, is a project aimed at changing our perceptions of these much-maligned urban wildflowers. Sophie has been uploading photos and videos to Twitter of the species that have colonised the pavements, walls and tree pits of her local streets, viewed on her daily walk. @morethanweeds
10 CREATE A HIDE UNDER YOUR TRAMPOLINE
Roxanne Furman – AKA Roxy the Zoologist – is spending quarantine filming garden wildlife from her new hide: her trampoline. It's a genius idea, as local birds and mammals have long been habituated to the apparatus. Roxy's aim is to photograph muntjac deer, but she’s sharing videos of other wildlife she encounters along the way, which so far includes rabbits and pheasants. Follow her progress on her YouTube channel – and, of course, if you have a trampoline, you could try it yourself. bit.ly/2yhEvpq
11 SIGN UP TO THE GARDEN WILDFLOWER HUNT
The Botanical Society of Britain and Northern Ireland has just launched a new wildflower survey for gardens (and, of course, balconies, walls, driveways, roof terraces and planters), with results submitted via an app. Use your lockdown to help the society – which has been running since 1836 – to learn more about the ecology and distribution of the nation’s wild flora, and to develop your own ID skills. bsbi.org/garden-wildflower-hunt
12 SPEND A NIGHT AT A MUSEUM
Museums may have temporarily closed their doors, but you can still visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC on a virtual tour. While away half an hour wandering the historic passageways of this landmark attraction, admiring past and present exhibits. naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour
13 WATCH A WEBCAM
Tune in to a webcam to immerse yourself in live footage of wildlife. Plenty more can be found via our website: discoverwildlife.com/webcams
WILDLIFE KATE: birds and mammals in the garden of wildlife camera expert Kate MacRae. wildlifekate.co.uk
WILDLIFE TRUSTS:
various British species including puffins, badgers, bats and ospreys. wildlifetrusts.org/webcams
THE CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY: owls, hawks, ospreys and more, plus the busy Feederwatch cam. allaboutbirds.org
EXPLORE: a diverse hub of webcams with everything from elephants in Tembe to eagles in Ohio. Explore.org
THE HAWK AND OWL TRUST:
owls and peregrines in Bath and Norwich. Hawkandowltrust.org
14 TAKE PART IN THE RSPB’S BREAKFAST BIRDWATCH
For the thousands of us temporarily liberated from school runs and morning commutes, the RSPB has launched a daily breakfast birdwatch on Twitter from 8–9am. Each week focusses on a new theme – expect the dawn chorus to be central for May. #breakfastbirdwatch
15 ARTTEND THE URBAN TREE FESTIVAL
From 16-24 May, this london event returns for its third year - and, this time, it's gone digital. There's a plethora of events for you to get involved in, including virtual walks, self-guided a trails and a writing competition. urbantreefestival.org
16 GET A DAILY DOSE OF ‘VITAMIN N’
A coalition of nature, environment and mental health organisations is launching a campaign of fun ways to keep connected to the wild. Keep an eye on Twitter for a host of nature activities. #VitaminN