Connecting with nature during lockdown

Right from the start of the stay at home orders I knew our family would get through by focussing on connection. In our family neurodiversity is embraced. Depression and anxiety also like to stop by. In a year where our usual supports were stripped away, spending time in nature has been the connection which carried my 14 year old and I through. 

Working from home and trying to support my two reluctant learners in remote schooling has been extremely challenging. For my 10 year old, the idea of connection was a visit to Starbucks. For my 14 year old, connection was visiting Cheetham Wetlands, and later when the 5km restriction commenced, Newport Lakes and Newells Paddock. 

Bird watching, along with photographing and drawing birds, bring a lot of joy to my oldest daughter and there is something about spending time immersed in nature that is so grounding. Nature demands nothing of us, yet gives us so much. Many have called this year the Great Pause, but with the demands of working and studying at home, to me it seemed life was harder than ever. 

Spending time near water, looking for the movement in a tree, and listening to bird calls slowed us down in a way that staying at home could not. In a year with few destinations these outings gave our walks purpose. 

As the restrictions wore on, our bird knowledge increased - as did our stash of photos. I’ve tentatively taken up nature journaling, exploring the Wurundjeri seasons of Melbourne. There’s always more to learn and discover. Early evening tonight at Newport Lakes, on the first day of daylight savings, we spotted a group of over twenty cormorants perched up in trees across the lake. The wind blew, the rain started, and we marvelled. Who knew they even did that?

By Rebecca Gelsi with photos by her daughter Eliana