A windswept tree against a misty sky with the sun peeking through.
©️ Paul Hobson

Finding light in the dark: How to connect to nature in winter

As winter takes hold, and you repeatedly find yourself commenting on how dark it is at 5pm, don’t despair. The colder months give us some excellent opportunities to connect with nature.

Here are our top five tips for connecting with nature this winter…

 

1. Go birding! 

Take advantage of fewer leaves obscuring the view into the trees and grab your binoculars because winter is the best time for bird watching. Why not head to a wetland nature reserve to catch a glimpse of migratory birds such as lapwing, curlew, sandling, or redshank? Many of these birds will stay in the UK for the winter, as their summer breeding grounds closer to the Arctic circle become too cold.  

Birds to spot coming back from migration 

Birdwatching in winter in the UK – our tips 

 

2. Help nature 

There is no better way to connect with nature than to help it. As the colder months draw in, some species need a helping hand, and in turn, we all get the benefit of seeing wildlife thrive. Putting out small treats, making sure bird baths are ice-free or leaving out shallow bowls of fresh, clean water, and providing shelters in your garden can really help the animals visiting your garden and provides an excellent opportunity for wildlife watching. Perhaps consider keeping a logbook of what you spot in your back yard! 

How to help wildlife in winter 

Tit and bird box

3. Do some tree spotting 

It’s hard not to admire a tree in summer when it dazzles us with its foliage and flowers but trees in winter can be majestic too. See if you can find a silver birch, the maker of new woodlands, standing out with their shiny iridescent bark. Or check out a hornbeam with its grey bark – they stand out with their twisty gnarled trunks. Or maybe gaze in awe at an oak tree; these native trees support more species than any other and owe their high numbers to the Eurasian jay. This bird will collect fallen acorns and bury them further away. Though incredibly smart, the jay will bury so many acorns that they occasionally forget where one is hidden and then, the seed germinates. One of nature’s beautiful symbioses.  

8 trees to spot in winter 

 

4. Take a safari 

Check out the website of your local wildlife trust or conservation groups. Many run interesting safaris with expert guides giving you inside information on what to look for when out in the wilderness. In joining a safari, you will be able to soak up the wellbeing benefits and expand your knowledge, while also supporting conservation efforts near you. In Kent, you can walk with the longhorn and highland cattle at Heather Corrie Vale in Sevenoaks or take a bison ranger experience and learn about the UK’s ground-breaking Wilder Blean project.  

Our safaris 

5. Put the “fun” in fungi 

This is the season for a fungi foray! It is literally all around, and when you start looking for it, you can’t stop seeing it! 2024's wet weather resulted in a poor year for insects and butterflies but created the perfect storm for fungi. Hothfield Heathlands in Ashford is home to over 1,500 species. 

Why not find your local fungi interest group, download a guide, and head to the woodland to see what you can find? 

Hothfield Heathlands winter fungi 

 

Support conservation work 

Our bonus tip for getting closer to nature this winter is to help us conserve it through supporting the work of Kent Wildlife Trust. Donate, volunteer or perhaps purchase a gift from our shop, it all helps us deliver a wilder Kent! If you are seeking that extra special gift, why not consider Legacy Landscapes - sponsorship of a quarter of an acre of a wildlife reserve in honour or memory of a loved one.  

Legacy Landscapes