Walk this May

Exercise and slowing down to appreciate nature

May is National Walking Month in the UK, sometimes referred to as ‘Walk this May’. The campaign originated with Living Streets, the charity that aims to “create a nation where walking and wheeling is the natural choice for everyday, local journeys.” but is also championed by the Ramblers, the UK’s walking charity.

Walking is great all round! It’s a good, low cost form of exercise for anyone with a reasonable level of mobility, it can boost your physical and mental health, is an easy way to explore your local area and possibly support local businesses like your favourite cafe

You can walk alone or with friends. I often find that it’s easier to have a good chat while out walking with someone and when COVID lockdowns were being eased, I was one of many people who ditched the video meetings for walking meetings. You can make a good contribution to reducing your carbon footprint by walking as much as you can rather than driving. This obviously requires there to be decent pavements (sidewalks for those of you in the US) and footpaths in your area. For distances too far to walk, consider cycling or using public transport when you can.

Walking also allows and encourages enjoyment of the natural world. Walking gives you access to places that vehicles can’t reach and you can appreciate landscape on a whole different level if you are walking rather than sitting in a vehicle

Hawthorn trees beside a track at Lauriston Farm, Edinburgh’s Agro-ecology Project

You can also appreciate the small details of nature on foot too. If you were in a vehicle or even on a bicycle you’d probably never even see this dandelion, let alone notice all the insects sitting in it. While walking though, you can stop and fully appreciate the sight.

How many insects can you see in this dandelion flower?

Years ago, this used to be a common sight, not something you would stop and stare at as soon as you see it. But drastic declines in insect populations mean that most dandelions nowadays are empty of insects. A sad indication of what we’re doing to the natural world.

There are lots of excellent Substacks out there, whose writers are keen observers of nature, so I’ll just highlight two who specifically refer to walking in nature. Richard shares daily observations Whilst Out Walking:

while Andrew shares notes from Another Disappointing Walk, with the intention of in fact proving that there’s no such thing as a disappointing walk:

If you’re not in the habit of walking, this is the ideal time of year to start if you’re in the northern hemisphere. The weather is generally mild and dry, which gives the most comfortable conditions for walking. (Though seasoned walkers usually don’t mind walking in the rain and we desperately need rain here in Scotland at the moment).

Take Part in No Mow May

May is also the month when UK charity Plantlife asks people not to mow their lawns, to allow wildflowers to flourish, so supporting pollinating insects and the birds that eat them. The campaign also asks people to consider minimal mowing of their lawns throughout the year - a good idea may be to regularly mow grass paths through the lawn and leave the rest to grow taller or to have patches of longer and shorter grass. But whichever you choose, remember not to mow the lawn in May! Join in with No Mow May here.

Celebrate World Bee Day

Yesterday, 20 May was World Bee Day. This offers a chance to celebrate all that bees do for us. it’s important to think not just about the domesticated honey bee, but to remember all the species of wild bees, the bumblebees, the mining bees and the plasterer bees just to mention a few groups. (For each link in the previous sentence, scroll down to see the various species of British bees for each group).

Enter Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Words of the Wild Competition

The competition, which closes on 12 July is looking for stories of Scotland’s wildlife and wild places within the theme: From source to sea.Submissions can be in English, Scots or Gaelic up to 1,000 words long and written in any form: poem, letter, short story, essay, song lyrics. Entry is free and there are generous non-cash prizes for the winners. Find out more here.