Treasures of outdoor life
IF there was a positive outcome of the Covid pandemic, it is the fact that so many more people have now discovered the great outdoors.
During the lockdown period everybody seemed to go out for a walk as part of their daily exercise, which is great, but the interesting thing is that a lot of people “discovered” the treasures of outdoor life during this period and have continued to go outside.
Over the years I have written about how beneficial being outdoors is and having a nice walk around the countryside really does help support our mental well-being and physical wellness.
Certainly for me, my business Steve England Outdoor Learning has never been so busy, which is great because I can now get to show more people what’s around them as they go for a walk.
I have been fortunate to be invited to lead many natural history walks and foraging courses across the country.
Earlier in the year I went to Pembrokeshire to teach coastal foraging, and what an amazing experience that was.
Even closer to home, councils are putting a lot of investment into post-pandemic support for community groups.
The Welsh tourist board has employed me to lead various wildlife courses throughout nature reserves there and the same has happened here in Bristol.
We now live in a different world from two years ago. Recently I led a group along the river Frome in Bristol and when I showed them all the prehistoric past and went to look for fossils they could not believe what they were being shown – a land that existed in a time before dinosaurs here in Bristol. And, of course, not forgetting my back garden and the place I was born in, Stoke Park, was once under the sea during the Jurassic period 160 million years ago.
The emails and feedback I get from people is amazing and it’s also great to receive emails from around the world when I film short videos for my YouTube channel. I am really looking forward to meeting more people over the next few months as we are now putting together lots more walks around Bristol and surrounding areas for everyone to enjoy. Thanks to everyone who supports my work.