Wild words
BBC Wildlife|May 2024
Spending time observing and writing about the natural world can be transformational
EMILY WHEELER
Wild words

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 13TH-19TH MAY

REFLECTIVE JOURNALLING and time spent in nature are both activities that are proven to support our emotional wellbeing, but have you ever tried combining the two? Cultivating a habit of nature journalling attunes us to our environment in a different way, as we become active observers of both our surroundings and our experiences within them. Outdoor spaces have enormous capacity to heal and soothe, both mentally and physically, and writing about them is just one way of engaging with their medicine.

There's no 'one way' to do nature writing, so it's an accessible and personal practice where you pick and choose what feels right for you. Even if you've never engaged with the genre before, now could be the perfect time to start. As a child I loved being outside, and also loved reading books, but I didn't find nature writing until my mid-20s. So much of our cultural storytelling in the West is centred around human (or human-like) characters, with the environment existing only as a background setting. Dialogue and dramatic plotlines often take centre stage and we anthropomorphise the natural world - 'humanising' nature in an attempt to see ourselves reflected in what we read.

Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av BBC Wildlife.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av BBC Wildlife.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA BBC WILDLIFESe alt
See It, Save It? - Wildlife tourism can be a powerful ally in protecting nature - but it can also harm it. We weigh up the pros and cons.
BBC Wildlife

See It, Save It? - Wildlife tourism can be a powerful ally in protecting nature - but it can also harm it. We weigh up the pros and cons.

The sums of wildlife travel aren’t as simple as more tourists equals happier nature. How much did my visit really contribute to the conservation of Lady Liuwa and her habitat – and was that outweighed by carbon emissions from my flights? Did my presence disturb the animals’ natural behaviour more than it reduced the threat of poaching or benefited local communities?The question of whether wildlife travel is, on balance, good for wildlife is a complex one – and there’s no simple answer.

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024
Can Your Really Offset Emissions? - Planning an overseas wildlife-watching trip entails facing some inconvenient truths
BBC Wildlife

Can Your Really Offset Emissions? - Planning an overseas wildlife-watching trip entails facing some inconvenient truths

Imagine (or maybe you don't need to) that you hanker after the safari trip of a lifetime in sub-Saharan Africa. A 17-day tour beginning at the iconic Victoria Falls, passing through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania, taking in some of the continent’s most wildlife-rich national parks, and ending on the lush island of Zanzibar.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
Metamorphosis: a life-changing event
BBC Wildlife

Metamorphosis: a life-changing event

WITH EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST JV CHAMARY

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
New series for BBC One: Asia
BBC Wildlife

New series for BBC One: Asia

Settle in this autumn for a new natural-history extravaganza on BBC One and iPlayer: the longawaited Asia, presented by Sir David Attenborough.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Loss of Antarctic sea ice could impact seabird food supply
BBC Wildlife

Loss of Antarctic sea ice could impact seabird food supply

Albatrosses and petrels may be forced to fly further to feed

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Tarsiers in trouble
BBC Wildlife

Tarsiers in trouble

Urgent action is needed to ensure survival of the Yoda-like primate

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
SNAP-CHAT
BBC Wildlife

SNAP-CHAT

Chien Lee on shrew loos, rogue drones and being rained out of bed

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
VISIONS OF NATURE
BBC Wildlife

VISIONS OF NATURE

The winners of the Wildlife Artist of the Year competition 2024, from David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
RETURN OF THE GIANTS
BBC Wildlife

RETURN OF THE GIANTS

After two decades of preparations, the island of Floreana in the Galápagos is ready to welcome back an iconic tortoise

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024
10 HOLIDAYS FOR CONSERVATION
BBC Wildlife

10 HOLIDAYS FOR CONSERVATION

Our round-up of the best ecotourism projects around the world. Here's how to help wildlife while having a blast!

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024