I am an avid lover of the countryside. Living in Wiltshire, I am lucky to be surrounded by rolling hills, wild rivers, and dense forests. All of which provide me with the freedom, peace, and serenity I desire at the end of each week. I’ll head out with my camera in hand and dog in the other (if I’m lucky she won’t pull and smash my camera/phone as she’s done so many times before) and I could easily spend a day, by myself, listening to the birds, listening to the water or my favourite… listening to absolutely nothing.
Throughout lockdown this went from a hobby to my saving grace. What would I have been doing if I could not disappear off the radar to somewhere my signal didn’t work and where I couldn’t see housing estates? Easy answer… I think I would have gone crackers. Even more crackers than before.
The places I visit consistently reset my brain, ready to be in a positive, giggly and bubbly place in time to jump back into the normality of 9-5 office work with my wonderful team.
Here’s the thing though…lockdown was marginally lifted two days ago. And right across the country places of natural beauty are now covered in litter, bottles, cans, plastic… the list goes on. And this saddens me. Greatly. The truth is, is if you have it in you to carry 6 tinnies out to the countryside, then you and I both know you have the capability to carry it back. There is no excuse for causing damage to the beautiful places that we are lucky to have.
The fall in greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 amounted to 8.9%. This data isn’t yet fully verified, but the 20 million tonnes of annual commercial waste has reduced by about 45%.
The natural world THRIVED through 2020, with animals across the world coming back from the brink of extinction.
So I guess this is my plea to you, it doesn’t take much energy to make sure that whatever rubbish you take somewhere with you, leaves with you.
One step further than that…. If you are out and about and you see litter on the street, or in the countryside, brave the gross and just pick. It. Up.
We owe the world we live in a lot. And yes, one person CAN make a difference.
Mother nature is beautiful.
Treat her with respect.
This rock doesn’t have much relevance to the content, but it has its own little eco system and I think that’s pretty cool…
