This year, why not make a New Year a resolution to really make the most of the countryside you love?
There are a thousand ways to enjoy our beautiful countryside - from exhilarating hill walks to a soothing hour watching butterflies. But sometimes life gets in the way and we don't get around to doing the things we love. So why not give yourself a fighting chance of actually doing those outdoor activities in 2022?
On these pages, there are 30 or so mini-adventures to whet your appetite. We hope it will get you thinking - and planning. You may love our ideas or think of your own. Either way, why not set yourself the goal of doing seven, 10 or more of these this spring and summer?
Put your top adventures on our pledge list on page 55 - cut it out and stick it to your fridge door as a reminder. Get them in the calendar so you can plan ahead, and if you need to, book somewhere to stay.
Dreaming up outdoor adventures is a wonderful way to spend a wet winter weekend. But we hope it also inspires a spring and summer full of fun in the countryside. Let us know what you get up to and how your year of mini-adventures goes.
Mindful moments
1. WATCH THE SUN RISE AND SET
There are few activities so calming as watching the coming of the dawn and the melting of the day into twilight. Enfold your daylight hours in the comforting hug of a sunrise and a sunset, taking time to contemplate the day.
2. FOLLOW A WELL-WORN PATH
Give a mindful makeover to a once-cherished footpath that has become all too familiar. Walk slowly, carefully noting every detail – those wild grasses, the smell of the soil, the sound of each bird. You will end up falling in love all over again.
3. READ A BOOK
Esta historia es de la edición February 2022 de BBC Countryfile Magazine.
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Esta historia es de la edición February 2022 de BBC Countryfile Magazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Guilt-Free Meat? - Should the world stop eating meat to tackle the climate crisis? Chris Baraniuk meets an experimental farmer who says we don't all have to become vegetarians
Should the world stop eating meat to tackle the climate crisis? Chris Baraniuk meets an experimental farmer who says we don't all have to become vegetarians. Livestock farming around the world is facing scrutiny because of its greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, the sector contributes somewhere between 11.1% and 19.6% of total emissions. Meat production is roughly twice as bad as the production of plant-based food, according to some analyses. And beef is the worst of all. Study after study has suggested that, in order to curtail the devastating effects of climate change, we ought to shift to a diet containing less meat - or even go vegetarian or vegan.
Discover Cider Country - Explore mellow golden countryside, pedalling between medieval villages, historic inns and fruitful orchards, on a delightful Herefordshire Cider Circuit adventure with Julie Brominicks
Explore mellow golden countryside, pedalling between medieval villages, historic inns and fruitful orchards, on a delightful Herefordshire Cider Circuit adventure with Julie Brominicks. I'm cycling Porter's Perfection, one of three cider circuits developed for Visit Herefordshire over the past few years. Each showcases a section of this bucolic county's loveliest villages, pubs, orchards and cidermakers via lanes suited to bicycles - e-bikes for hill-averse cyclists like me. The idea is to allow you to appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of cider country while traversing roads never meant for modern cars. If you have dodgy knees, or are keen to indulge in the local adult apple juice as you go (remember, it's illegal to cycle while under the influence), Visit Herefordshire also promotes cider bus routes.
TOP 10 WILD AUTUMN FOODS
Make the most of seasonal abundance with foraging tips and recipe ideas from wild food expert Liz Knight
The taste of England
Amid pastures farmed by her family for more than four centuries, Mary Quicke is reviving forgotten dairy traditions to produce delicious Devon cheeses
How to eat 30 plants a week
As science proves the many health-boosting benefits of eating at least 30 different plants each week, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall shares recipes to help you meet the magic target
RARE RAFT SPIDER MAKES A COMEBACK
Thanks to dedicated conservation work, this impressive but vulnerable arachnid is resurgent in East Anglia
SPECTACULAR STONEHENGE FINDS
Following the latest astonishing revelation about the Stonehenge Altar Stone's Scottish origins, Dixe Wills looks at recent discoveries that have changed the way we view this impressive and enigmatic Neolithic monument
GALLOWAY NATIONAL PARK DEBATE
Would this protected status bring welcome recognition and attention - or overcrowding and problems for farmers?
Farmers are valued, so why do they feel we don't care?
For farmers out in their fields in all seasons, worried about the future as dramatic levels of rainfall blamed on climate change damage their crops, inflation and uncertainty push up their costs and what they see as unfair imports threaten their livelihoods, here's a spot of unexpectedly good news: the rest of us think you are doing a good job.
Pumpkin patches
Find the perfect jack-o'-lantern for Halloween at a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Some are simple affairs in tranquil countryside; others offer activities ranging from ghost trains to spooky mazes.
