It is human nature to want to explore. However, the current restrictions on where we can go and what we can safely do mean that physically at least, we may be temporarily cut off from friends, colleagues and some of the places we love. Having to stay at home has certainly reminded the Falls of Clyde rangers how lucky we normally are that our ‘office’ is out in the countryside. We know that many of you too will be missing the freedom that comes with being out in nature.

And yet! Even without being able to enjoy the reserve for now, there is something comforting about knowing that many of the rhythms of the season will continue regardless of our absence. Wood anemones are bursting into flower, the drone of bumblebees is carried on the breeze, and this year’s badger cubs will be growing stronger by the day in the warm darkness of the sett, soon ready to take their first steps out into the world.

Closer to home, changes are visible too. In your garden. In the park. On your windowsill. The narrowing of our horizons for the time being presents many challenges, but it is also an invitation to shift focus to some of the smaller wonders of nature. The cherry tree in the street that blossoms overnight. The blue tits that you hadn’t noticed were nesting in your shed wall. The wood pigeons courting on the telephone wire!

It is important to stay safe by keeping up to date with the latest public health advice, but the 24-hour news cycle can also be emotionally draining. Why not take a bit of time each day to tune in to the different frequencies of life that are happening where you live? Sometimes it takes a shock to see the apparently commonplace with fresh eyes. What kinds of things have you spotted that you normally wouldn’t?

Patrick Endall, Falls of Clyde Seasonal Ranger