MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 13TH-19TH MAY
REFLECTIVE JOURNALLING and time spent in nature are both activities that are proven to support our emotional wellbeing, but have you ever tried combining the two? Cultivating a habit of nature journalling attunes us to our environment in a different way, as we become active observers of both our surroundings and our experiences within them. Outdoor spaces have enormous capacity to heal and soothe, both mentally and physically, and writing about them is just one way of engaging with their medicine.
There's no 'one way' to do nature writing, so it's an accessible and personal practice where you pick and choose what feels right for you. Even if you've never engaged with the genre before, now could be the perfect time to start. As a child I loved being outside, and also loved reading books, but I didn't find nature writing until my mid-20s. So much of our cultural storytelling in the West is centred around human (or human-like) characters, with the environment existing only as a background setting. Dialogue and dramatic plotlines often take centre stage and we anthropomorphise the natural world - 'humanising' nature in an attempt to see ourselves reflected in what we read.
Bu hikaye BBC Wildlife dergisinin May 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye BBC Wildlife dergisinin May 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Flightless birds
Our pick of 10 curious birds that have lost the ability to fly
ALL YOU EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE Shoebill
THIS PREHISTORIC-LOOKING BIRD IS affectionately known by some as 'king of the marshes' as it is huge (up to 1.5m tall with a 2.4m wingspan) and resides in the freshwater marshes and swamps of East Africa.
Slime: protector, lubricant and glue
GOO, GUNGE, GUNK... WHILE THERE are many names for the stuff that makes things slippery or sticky, slime isn't a single material but a label for a variety of substances with similar physical properties. Those qualities are desirable to many living things, which is why slime is made by such a wide range of organisms.
How do parrots learn to swear?
THERE ARE FEW THINGS AS GLORIOUSLY entertaining as the effing and blinding of a potty-mouthed parrot.
Why are walruses so chubby?
AS A GENERAL RULE, TERRESTRIAL mammals are furry, while aquatic ones are fat. It doesn't work across the board: sea otters rarely leave the water but have the densest fur of any mammal.
What is the lotus effect?
WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF WATCHING the clock on the wall of a dentist's waiting room, you can always pass a bit of time with a rummage through the bowl of fragrant botanical wonders next to the leaflets about expensive cosmetic work.
Are there any plants in Antarctica?
CONTINENTS DON'T COME ANY MORE inhospitable than Antarctica, where life must contend with the longest, darkest, coldest winters and a year-round blanket of snow and ice.
LANDLORD OF THE WILD
The humble aardvark is seldom praised for its work digging out homes for other animals
CRACK DOWN
As the new Amazon drama Poacher hits our screens, we take a look at the fight to end ivory poaching in India
Wild words
Spending time observing and writing about the natural world can be transformational