Nature Provides Solace During Lockdown Erin McDaid, Head of Communications & Marketing, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, explains why places
A
of natural beauty and nature are so important in stressful times. s we all came to terms with life in lockdown, many turned to nature for solace. Our experience during this challenging period was undoubtedly made more bearable thanks to the unusually warm and dry spring which provided plenty of opportunities to enjoy the wildlife on our doorstep as many of our favourite sites became out of reach. The sight of fledgling birds jostling for their parents’ attention in our gardens acquired new meaning and the dawn chorus of birdsong became a soundtrack to our lives – delivered in true surround sound thanks to the massive drop in traffic noise. As a charity Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust faced a challenging time during lockdown with the majority of our staff Furloughed to protect funding, but we made an early decision to keep all our nature reserves open to provide people with spaces to exercise and connect with nature. For those living close by, our sites became sanctuaries and this was certainly the case for photographer and naturalist Mike Vickers. Mike’s images often grace these pages, helping to bring my articles to life, and he has been visiting the area now covered by Idle Valley Nature Reserve for over 40 years. Living in Lound, just a few minutes from the reserve, Mike has used the extra time in lockdown to visit more
often and as a result he has captured an amazing series of images which help document the wealth of wildlife present. The stunning images include spectacular birds such as crane & great white egret as well as delicate damselflies and more regular bird species such as whitethroat. Mike is passionate about the site and acts as a volunteer warden but his lockdown experience has reinforced his view that nature and nature reserves are to be cherished. Speaking about the past few months Mike said: “The extra free time during lockdown has enabled me to indulge in my passion for nature photography and reinforced my view that nature and local nature reserves are vitally important. I’m lucky that the reserve is only a few minutes from home but it’s been rewarding to see so many people enjoying the reserve and its wildlife over the past few months.” These images certainly capture something of the essence this wild yet welcoming reserve. It’s one of the best places in Nottinghamshire for watching birds and other wildlife and the variety of Mike’s photos underlines this fact. We also know that like Mike, many people have been connecting with nature during lockdown and we hope Mike’s images inspire many others to visit the reserve in the weeks and months ahead.
