Yesterday I experienced the magic of bluebells in a Sussex woodland.

There were so many bluebells in this particular wood, that they formed a delicate blue cloud which seemed to float above the ground, undulating with the rise and fall of the landscape. The scent was striking – an almost heady, oily mixture of fresh watermelon and hyacinth.

Depending where you live in the UK, you’re probably not far from a bluebell wood right now (a ‘wild hyacnith’ wood if you’re Scottish!). A place which can connect you strongly to the past.

A connection to the past

Look for an old woodland, especially one containing oak trees, and watch for the delicate ‘native’ bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) rather than the taller and more upright and robust ‘Spanish’ hybrid (Hyacinthoides hispanica) that is popular with gardeners.

Bluebells are one of number of indicators that a woodland is ‘ancient’ – at least 420 years old. Consider who else may have trodden the same path as you over this time – Victorians, Medieval peasants, hunters.

Looking to the future

Your wood can also connect us to the future. Researchers are finding that bluebells have some interesting properties in the fight against parasites that cause sleeping sickness and Chagas disease, and is the subject of anti-cancer and HIV research.

Grateful for the present moment

A finally, consider the present. A moment of quiet reflection in a bluebell wood is made all the more poignant by how fleeting the experience is, and also because the native bluebell is so rare. Half the world’s population grows in the UK, and is at risk from hybridisation with garden varieties and commercial collection. Furthermore, they take 5 years to come to flower, and spread at the very slow rate of 0.3m per year.

I sat for a while, with the ‘Spring forward’ practice from the book ‘Being in Nature’. I felt inspired to do what I can to make a home for nature in my own life, and to spend as much time with bluebell spring before it fades for another year.

James Farrell, co-author of ‘Being in Nature – 20 practices to help you flourish in a busy world’, says one of his all time favourite jobs was warden of a Shetland isle. However, it wasn’t without its challenges.

Noss National Nature Reserve, as the isle is called, lies off Shetland – some 500km from either Scotland or Norway. Noss is home to over 100,000 seabirds including gannets, puffins and arctic terns…as well as two wardens who monitor the wildlife and pick up visitors in a speedboat.

At times the work was overwhelming and lonely. Extreme weather sometimes prevented the wardens from getting across to the mainland, or even venturing outside. There were periods when the only contact was the daily radio call to the coastguard. And living in such close proximity to one other colleague required tolerance that James didn’t have initially.

James says “Living an isolated island life was a big test. I needed to learn to be kind, and balance self-sufficiency with close reliance on another human being. Living so closely with the natural world was a real privilege. I began to appreciate the freedom that comes from feeling small in the face of nature. I felt calmer and in company whenever I sat still and observed wildlife. Noss helped me get to know myself, improve my relationships with others, and really deepened my appreciation for nature connection.”

During James’ time there, Noss was visited by famous birder Bill Oddie, who was filming for a TV programme. Bill’s producer then was naturalist and author Stephen Moss, who was kind enough to offer an admirably succinct review of ‘Being in Nature’.

‘A great book – useful and inspiring!’

Stephen Moss

James says “You don’t have to live on a remote island to develop a deep connection with nature. Wherever you live there is likely to be trees or birds outside the window, or in a nearby park. Noticing and reflecting on everyday nature is a gift available to everyone – and it starts with stopping and observing.”

Spring is a great time to get outside amongst the natural world. You can buy ‘Being in Nature’ here, as a companion on your journey to a deeper connection with nature.