How has nature helped you through the lockdown?
Most European countries are slowly lifting restrictions due to Covid-19 and people can move outside more freely again. The team of the European Wilderness Society has been lucky enough to be locked down in places, where nature is easily accessible despite the restrictions, so being out in the wild helped many of us through the isolation.
Please also read: Lessons From Covid-19 For The Climate Crisis
Read how nature has helped us through the lockdown and then share your own experience with us!
A gorgeous gorge
The corona lockdown really motivated me to spend time in nature every single day, particularly on the weekends, as well as to explore the nice areas close by. My nicest impressions are from a cycling trip a gorge, which really is a paradise, especially with no visitors inside. I climbed up the gorge past five beautiful waterfalls in a beautiful forest.
Ziva
My trip into the wild were the daily walks along our rivers where we saw martens and hermelins. And numerous birds enjoying the absence of heavy agricultural machinery.
Nature as a source of inspiration
My trips into the Slovakian Mountains have always been an excellent experience to relax. Due to the corona restrictions, these solitary trips were even more important in the last weeks. Besides relaxation, they also provided a lot of inspiration and momentum to think about our future.
Vlado
Since restrictions are slowly being lifted, I see more and more old friends enjoying the wonderful nature in my favourite places, too. It is funny how we are positively surprised to see each other. We cannot shake hands, only say hello and smile at each other from a distance. But the optimism in our eyes is so well visible…
Read about Jonas lockdown in our Wilderness Diary.
Experiencing nature on two wheels
Being confined to my home was initially a challenge, since I am living in a small apartment with two people. It was therefore always good to get out for a short lunch walk or weekend bike ride. In the early days of the lockdown, we would stick to a short walk along the river, to the next village and back. As the winter slowly turned into spring, the warmer weekends fortunately also provided the chance to go on longer bike rides in the Biosphere Reserve.
Nick
Luckily for me as a vivid bike rider, the Biosphere Reserve Lungau has quite an extensive network of trails laid out, going up into the valleys and over many of the mountains. It has been and still is a great excuse to get away from the town and submerge yourself in nature, while physically challenging yourself. As the lockdown slowly lifts, we now bike more often in a small group together, which makes it more fun to count down the switchbacks until you reach the top of a trail.
After hearing from some of us, now it is time to share your own experience!
