In My Back Yard

I enjoy being outside in the countryside. I like to walk, swim in rivers and lakes but my main interest is mountain biking. Mountain biking took me out into the wilds, and gave me a way to move around, and unwittingly take in and immerse myself in the environment. I get a huge amount of enjoyment from breathing in fresh air and flying silently along a forest trail.

I developed a connection with nature when I was very young, having been brought up in a small village and spending time on the farm of my uncle. My appreciation of nature had a firm foundation which has developed through my life. Getting out into nature, enjoying and appreciating it eventually develops respect and awareness.

The natural world is undoubtedly beautiful. If you've seen the 'Planet Earth' series of documentaries by the BBC, there is astounding footage captured in high definition film. Wouldn't it be horrible if documentaries like that became the only record we had of our beautiful flourishing world?

If trekking in mountain wilderness doesn't sound like your cup of tea, start small, go and visit your local park, or take a walk beyond the suburbs onto the fringes of the countryside. Find out about your local footpaths and walk them. Go and see what all the fuss is about. If you've got a nagging feeling that theres more to life than 4 walls and a computer screen, then you're right.

Go and visit your local farmer. Have a chat with him/her and see how they tend to and steward the land. Find out where your food comes from, and hey, why not lend a hand? Click here to find out more about environmental stewardship schemes for farmers.

If you've a got a bit more time to spend in front of the screen then pay a visit to this site, which is a daily resource of news from the major newspapers and websites about UK wildlife and environment.