24 May 2021
The time has come, holidays, sunshine, freedom (!) and many of us, locals and visitors alike will be heading outdoors here in the Lake District. Because we all know that those mountains are special! I have been longing to be in those mountains, the most special thing that makes the Lake District a National Park.
What? What do you mean it’s the lakes which are the best? No, no, no…the mountains!
And what? You say it’s the woods?!
Well, let’s not split hairs because everyone knows what makes the Lake District special to them, and that of course is what makes the Lake District special – something for everyone.
You see underpinning every National Park are its special qualities. If there was nothing special then what would need protecting, and why would it need to be a National Park? And whilst the National Park Authority might have identified a list of priority special qualities it needs to care for, to you and me what matters most is where we are right now – or at least where I will be once I get outside away from this screen!
There are lots of ways to enjoy the outdoors, from picnics by a lake to hiking to the top of a mountain, but along the way it’s well worth taking some time to look a little more closely at things. What can I hear? What is it that I’m seeing? Wow, look at those colours! Take a look at and try a few of the activities in my last blog here.
If we’ve learnt one thing over the last year perhaps it’s that we all need to get out into nature and now we can travel we can make the most of that. However, not everyone can travel and we’ll all be heading home eventually but we can still nurture nature. Back there try looking for nature close to home and think about what you can do to help it? Amongst the organisations I work with, for the John Muir Award, there is a ‘children in care’ group creating community allotment spaces in Ulverston; one women recently finished her Award based from home on the coast at Parton, will be running Beach School at Parton later in the year; and many more are exploring their ‘back yard’ nature.
We can all enjoy wild places, we can tread carefully, pick up a piece of litter and leave the place better than we found it. Caring means we need to respect both residents and visitors, something the children of Grasmere School help explain in their wonderful interpretation of the Countryside Code. We can also go further, leave the car behind, walk, cycle, take a bus or lake ferry and that will make the world a better place everywhere – less congestion, less air pollution, less car park fees, more active, more views, more fresh air. For nature here, there and everywhere, follow the Countryside Code, smile, say hello, be a freshairhead, and you’ll love it!