Nature on Your Doorstep

Enjoy the winning stories from the youth nature-writing competition that launched during lockdown

Once upon a time, in a land not very far away, all the children were stuck indoors, with no school and no friends to play with... Nature writing is a powerful way to connect with the natural world. In literature, wildlife and wild places often represent our deepest souls, especially in troubled times. As we went into lockdown, I felt sorry for children and families now disconnected from each other and from wild places.

In April, I teamed up with wildlife writers, champions, publishers and businesses to run the Nature on your Doorstep wild writing competition. Children and teenagers aged 4–17 were invited to submit stories about wildlife outside their windows, and hundreds responded.

All the judges laughed, cried and learned lots, too. The diversity of stories – from different backgrounds, ages and cultures across the UK – made for a magical experience. They showed us different ways to enjoy nature. Children who struggled with writing were motivated to write for the first time. They might have dyslexia, or English as a second language, yet they produced beautiful, imaginative ideas.

We heard from children who have been bullied, who were shielding due to illnesses, who were separated from parents because of coronavirus.

We were blown away when TV presenters Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin announced the winners live on their Self-Isolating Bird Club online show. It’s a delight to see the winning stories published and I hope that this will set our worthy winners off on writing careers inspired by nature!