I have yet to meet any small child who is not interested in the natural world whether it is creepy crawlies, pretty robin redbreasts or large charismatic animals.  In fact their storybook world is populated with them.  We have a natural, inherent connection towards other living things, yet somehow modern life steals us away from nature and places us in offices, in front of computers, in shops and cities.  This doesn’t always make us well or happy and we can feel the need to ‘get away’ from it all.

As their standard of living increases people naturally turn their attention to travel and this travel is often focused on nature.  Any glance through a holiday brochure reveals images of the natural world; of beautiful beaches, reefs, rainforests, woodlands and mountains; natural spaces become a commodity to be bought and enjoyed for short periods of time in order to heal the stresses, strains and sorrows of the everyday.

However, we don’t always need to travel far to rewild our restless spirits; outside our city walls is a beautiful countryside which needs to be revisited and reloved. There is so much evidence to suggest that a walk in the countryside makes us feel better; heals our minds and refocuses our attention.

 I have always found solace in nature. It is a place where I can be free of all demands and self-consciousness. Where problems become smaller, legs become stronger; there is space to think and vistas to behold.  To stop and look for common lizards, to watch the silver-washed fritillaries’ on their adventures through the rides or to count the species of wild flowers that grace me with their presence….This is where I reconnect with all that is important to me…..I call it rewilding my spirit.