Hi Compassionates,
Happy New year! I hope you’ve had a good start to 2025, and you are enjoying winter, wherever you are, and in whichever way possible. Whether it’s gazing out the window with a cup of hot chocolate in our hands, or venturing outdoors for a more up close and personal experience in our local green space and beyond. January is a great time to start noticing nature, to start as we mean to go on.
Winter is definitely a difficult time to get outdoors, the chilly temperatures and limited light leave us feeling below par. It’s natural to want to stay indoors. All the more reason to draw inspiration from our native wildlife and consider how they adapt to survive the winter months.
Did you unwrap a winter woolly for Christmas? Wool is probably the warmest material we can wear during winter, for an extra layer of insulation. Just like our native mammals grow a winter coat; foxes, deer, badgers and squirrels, we too can layer up, with extra clothing, which will help us to stay warm and enjoy some quality time outdoors.
Or perhaps you are more of a hibernator, like the humble hedgehog who likes to hunker down for winter months. Me too! But with that comes an opportunity to practice noticing nature from the comfort of our home. Whether it’s gazing out at the garden, balcony, at the trees that line our streets, or up at the sky, winter presents the perfect opportunity to notice nature from the window.
With a trustee pair of binoculars, we can revel at the finer detail of what we discover and enjoy the experience all the more. The Big Garden Bird Watch is coming up. January 24th – 26th. The perfect opportunity to learn more about birds, and biological recording, contributing towards some citizen science. Who knows what we’ll discover, perhaps even a migratory bird, leading us to a bit more inspiration…
Escaping the winter months to warmer climes is definitely an option, a lot of avian wildlife do that. But if we don’t have that ability, then opening our hearts and minds to the birds that visit us during the winter months may be good antidote to the winter blues and help to lift our spirits 🙂
Ever considered the perils that birds face on their long migratory journeys of thousands of miles? It’s good to read about it and give some thought. Natural forces like storms and other extreme weathers, predators, man made structures, such as buildings, skyscrapers, power lines, wind turbines, aircraft, which cause collisions. The lack of resting spots, due to habitat loss. The list is endless! For more information check out the RSPB website https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-migration
It’s truly amazing the obstacles they overcome. And with that in mind, lets draw inspiration from their resilience, and learn to take a few more risks ourselves outdoors! 🙂
Either way. One thing is for certain. Our planet will keep spinning around our star, and soon enough, before you know it, it will be Spring!
But let’s not wish away winter quite so quickly. Let’s press diapause and reflect on 2024, with a few top tips for deepening our connection with nature:
- Equip yourself with some outdoor clothing and kit. Binoculars. Magnifying glass. Monocular lens. To help you appreciate the finer detail, and sharpen your observation skills.
- Practice some citizen science. Big Garden Bird Watch. 24th – 26th January with RSPB. The UK pollinators Monitoring scheme (POMS). The Big Butterfly count. And many more. Take your pick based on your personal interests. Download the relevant apps.
- Practice mindfulness in your local green space. Quieten the mind, and enjoy the sensory experience. Get to know plants/tree’s/birds/insects/mammals. Connect with the local flora and fauna, learn about the different habitats. Where we live is part of a larger ecosystem.
- Keep a seasonal nature journal. Record notes, sketches, photo’s or other creative inspiration. Keep a record of your findings. Stay curious. Become an amateur naturalist.
- Join a wildlife walk, or wildlife group, and share your interest with others. This is a wonderful way to meet like minded people, learn, and inspire each other.
I hope that helps. Have a fab winter.
LMC xxx
planetcompassion.org 