How to Connect With Nature When You Can’t Leave the House

With 30 Days Wild around the corner, if you’re still unsure about whether you want to take part, remember you don’t always have to leave the house. If your health (or the weather) leaves you housebound, you can still find ways to connect with nature. Try one of these.

1. Birdwatch from a window. Even if you can’t see any birds,  you may hear them. With practice, you can learn to identify birds by song.
2. Try some natural crafting with leaves, twigs and other natural finds collected on days when you could leave the house (or ask friends to bring you natural gifts they’ve collected).
3. Make a bird feeder for your neighbourhood birds.  If you have a garden, put it somewhere you can see from the house (keeping it safely away from cats and other predators).
4. Read nature poetry to see what other people have learned from nature.
5. Take photos of the clouds. Try drawing them to really see the difference in cloud types.
6. Keep a weather diary. If you have a chronic condition, you may find keeping a parallel pain diary helps you spot patterns you may not have recognised before (eg, rain = pain).
7. Photograph sunrise or sunset through a window (a side benefit of insomnia can be glorious early morning skies).
8. Share nature tips and photos on Twitter and Instagram using #30DaysWild, and connect with other wildlife lovers.
9. Watch a wildlife webcam.
10. Plant an indoor garden. It could be a fairy garden or you could create an indoor salad bar, herb garden or chilli and tomato planter. The smell of soil can be good for you and you can tailor the size of your indoor garden to your energy levels.

While getting outdoors has many benefits, you don’t always have to leave the house to go wild.