There are so many different experiences of Covid-19 and lockdown. Our 2020 theme encouraged writers to explore the experiences of this strange year and consider how the burgeoning of nature – the birdsong, clear skies, clean sea, quieter streets – may have been helpful in coping with the traumas and difficulties.
This has been a time of uncertainty and complex emotions, a time of retreat and planting, a time to remember that I am a writer, a time to consider things I want to do differently in the future. It’s also been a time of losses and of concern: for my family and friends, this country and other countries, key workers, those ill, those grieving, and those isolated. In truth, it’s been a turbulent time.
Pens of the Earth writer
This theme also encouraged writers to explore the changes they would like to see emerging from this time.
I like this submission theme because it respects the awfulness of people’s experiences; the quieter streets, cleaner seas, etc, experienced during lockdown were the rainbows in the midst of all the other terrible things.
Pens of the Earth writer
As always, we were asking for a positive environmental element within submissions. We wanted writers to explore the interdependence between humans and the natural world, to think about how we connect with nature, to explore what we love about our planet, and to dream of what could be achieved. How can we protect this planet for the future benefit of all?
Clean Air
Let Pompey Breathe have been campaigning to improve air quality in Portsmouth for years, as detailed in this article from Star & Crescent. Pollution dropped by half during lockdown, and Portsmouth had the biggest drop in nitrous dioxide levels in the whole of England.
Pompey Street Space
As lockdown began to ease, the Pompey Street Space campaign – a coalition of Portsmouth environmental and community groups – was launched. Its aim is to encourage Portsmouth City Council to make our streets safe for walking, cycling and social distancing.
Campaigner Rachel Hudson of Portsmouth Friends of the Earth supports the campaign: ‘These are stressful times for business owners and employees: so it’s worth noting that an ever-growing number of studies show that if a city prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists this boosts retail spending, especially in independent shops. These are the shops currently most at risk of closure, so this plan could offer a lifeline.’
The council noted that car use dropped significantly during lockdown and cycling increased by 73%. It also recognised that peoples’ use of footpaths and roads is changing. Space must be made for safe cycling, and businesses will need room for queuing outside. Once restaurants reopen they may need additional street space to operate safely.
Campaign representative Nick Sebley of Portsmouth Climate Action Board said, ‘We acknowledge and welcome the ‘quick wins’ that the Council have announced in the south of the city; however the key demand of our campaign is that these become a joined-up city-wide network, so everyone in Portsmouth can walk, wheel and cycle safely.’
GPs have also been backing the Pompey Street Space campaign, as reported in this article from the Portsmouth News. Over 100 healthcare professionals are calling for better walking and cycling facilities to improve the health of Pompey residents.
A recent survey from the British Lung Foundation found that one in six people noticed health improvements during lockdown. The figure is even more significant for children. Half of all people surveyed with lung conditions had noticed the drop in air pollution.
Another article from The News notes that Goldsmith Avenue will be fitted with barriers to separate cars from cyclists, as part of an experiment to improve Portsmouth’s cycling infrastructure.
Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson unveiled the plans in the wake of a petition by 3,000 people to improve the city’s walking and cycling infrastructure. He is also backing a number of proposals by Pompey Street Space, including joining up cycle routes and making school drop-off and pick-up times safer.
National Plan to Boost Walking and Cycling
As reported in the Guardian, residents are to get new decision-making powers with regard to walking and cycling, including the ability to banish through-traffic from local streets and prevent councils from building substandard cycle lanes.
There are also moves to create more low-traffic neighbourhoods to prevent cars from using smaller roads as rat-runs.
Traffic Evaporation
This article from the Dublin Inquirer shows that well-executed traffic management schemes are surprisingly effective. Traffic can be reduced in city centres without causing an increase in surrounding areas. The traffic ‘evaporates’.
Streets for People Workshop (Writing Prompts)
Alison Habens has some inspiration from our forthcoming online workshop in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth:
“Streets for People is a local, national and global initiative, which has been gathering momentum for a number of decades. It is driven by a variety of organisations including: Living Streets, Sustrans, Playing Out and Friends of the Earth.
Streets for People seeks a compromise between the needs of traffic and the needs of the people who live within a city. It seeks to create ‘Liveable Cities’ where children can play, people can enjoy walking and cycling, communities can gather, air quality is improved and wildlife can prosper.
As the number of successful projects increases, it is becoming clear that creating Streets for People can have a massive positive impact on community, family, health, well-being, air quality, safety and our environment. It can also help to decrease traffic congestion.
Locally, amongst others, Portsmouth Cycle Forum, Portsmouth Friends of the Earth, Portsmouth Playing Out, Wilder Portsmouth, Community Orchards, Let Pompey Breathe and most recently Pompey Street Space are all involved in campaigns to make Portsmouth a greener, healthier, more ‘liveable’ city.”
Alison has also provided some writing prompts from the workshop:
- Describe a particular street you know well; write as if you are standing on it now, experiencing all the sights, sounds and smells.
- Write from the point of view of a street itself, speak in its voice(s) and tell an episode of its story.
- Write in script-style, the dialogue between two people in a street scene, showing how they are affected (though they might not even be aware of it) by environmental issues.
Ali Morse (Urban Wildlife & Nature Rainbow)
Ali has a fabulous Instagram page, full of pictures of wildlife and the natural world.
“One of my main observations during lockdown has been how much wildlife there is to see just in my garden and local area, and how making small changes for wildlife has made a difference.
The thing that surprised me most when looking back through my photos was realising just how many of them were taken in my own garden. Spending time at home during lockdown has meant that I have noticed the nature that is right on my doorstep.
Some of it was probably here before and I just didn’t realize. But I like to think that some is here as a result of the changes I’ve made – like my #HedgehogHighway, #MiniMeadow, #PlantsForPollinators and taking part in #NoMowMay.
These small changes that were so simple to make, and cost next to nothing, have made my garden a better place for biodiversity.
For many people lockdown has also highlighted the importance of green spaces, not just for nature but for our mental & physical health.”
Ali also posted a series of rainbow pictures:
“Throughout the UK and elsewhere people have been displaying rainbows in their windows so that neighbours, children stuck at home, those out for their daily exercise & those who are still heading out to work to keep services running for everyone else have something bright & cheerful to look at as they pass. My version of this is to try to find in nature the colours of the rainbow over the course of the week.”
She also encountered some hedgehogs during lockdown:
“To encourage hedgehogs into your garden, a Hedgehog Highway is one of the best means – a CD-case-sized hole at the bottom of fences & walls to allow hedgehogs through. I created one last year during #30dayswild – and a hedgehog soon found his way in.
Other top tips:
- Cover drains & deep holes and ensure there are easy routes out of ponds & pools
- Check vegetation before mowing or strimming, & compost heaps before forking through
- Avoid using pesticides like slug pellets which can poison hedgehogs; switch to beer traps or shells instead, & encourage other natural predators.
You can report hedgehog sightings at bighedgehogmap.org.
As nocturnal animals it’s unusual to see them out during daylight hours, & rescue centres advise that a ‘purposeful’ looking hedgehog is probably fine, but one that is injured, lethargic, lying down in the open, stumbling, or making distress calls needs specialist help.”
Carla Broom (Urban Wildlife)
“I moved to Eastleigh at the start of lockdown so it’s been really nice to have the time to explore a new area. The park behind the house is amazing for wildlife – and throughout lockdown it’s been absolutely ‘buzzing’!
As it’s spring, a lot of the water fowl have had young and we’ve been watching them grow up over the last few months. We’ve seen ducklings, goslings, coot chicks and recently (and most excitingly) two Great Crested Grebe chicks! A swan was nesting an egg but unfortunately, she decided to lay it in the middle of a path so it didn’t work out so well.
During our evening walks, we’ve been bat watching with my bat detector, seeing so many different species – common and soprano pipistrelles, noctules, Daubenton’s, whiskered, Bechstein’s, Brandt’s and a possible long eared bat (I’m not 100% sure how accurate the ID feature is on the detector, but it seems pretty good so far).
Since it’s been so quiet, we’ve also seen a pair of deer in the evenings, an unexpected sight for such a built-up area.
And lastly, we were surprised by a flash of colour from a kingfisher, but sadly it flitted away too quickly to get a photo.”
Carla Broom, Portsmouth Friends of the Earth
Helen Salsbury (Writing Prompts)
Some writing prompts from our founder:
- Another day without structure. She woke to the sound of birdsong.
- It was scary to go outside, but the blue sky helped.
- From the window she looked out onto a blue, cloudless sky.
- The sky had never looked so blue.
- She stepped into the empty road, giving a wide berth to the old man on the pavement.
- They walked together, but apart – five metres apart.
- She made a mask for her sister, on the sewing machine she hadn’t used for years.
- After she got home from her long shift on the Covid-19 ward, she went and watered her seedlings.
- After she got home from her long shift on the Covid-19 ward, she went down to the sea.
- The kids were clamouring for their one exercise outing of the day.
- While everyone else was panic buying toilet rolls, she bought a large bag of sustainable potting compost.
Rachael Mairey (Urban Wildlife)
“Nature during city lockdown: As I worked from home with laptop in garden, nature gradually got used to me: mating bumblebees flew so close to my ear, they almost collided with me and the birds grew bold and fed just a couple of metres away from me whilst I sat and typed. I have been accepted! We are part of nature.”
“What a delight to find a hedgehog snuffling in the garden, clearing up the bird food that has been scattered by enthusiastically gorging starlings! Even more delightful to find that there were two the following evening: Mr and Mrs Hoggerton! Staying at home has led people to explore their own spaces and gardens more and I have discovered that numerous people have regular hedgehog visitors. Presumably, they used to visit in secret! Perhaps these lovely, prickly snufflers are doing better than we thought?”
Rachael Mairey, Volunteer Co-ordinator, The Sustainability Centre
Margaret Jennings (Reflections)
“A Different Future – there are many of us looking at our lives and thinking about how we will change things. Personally, I think I will stop dashing from one thing to another as if the answer to life resides in busy-ness.”
Margaret Jennings, author of We are the Lizards.
Eileen Phyall (Writing Prompts)
Eileen has supplied some writing prompts:
- The teddies in the windows made what had been a tedious chore an interesting walk.
- No people, no litter, beautiful sea cabbages.
- How good it felt to be walking in the middle of the road. The only sounds were those of waves breaking on the shingle.
- During lockdown she found a love of gardening that increased as her seedlings grew.
Portsmouth Clean Seas
The Portsmouth News published this article about the sea: ‘Portsmouth’s water looks so clear in these 11 pictures taken during lockdown‘.
Lockdown Blue Sky
Under lockdown, the sky was officially a deeper shade of blue due to a decrease in pollution, as reported in this article from Country Living. Measurements of the effect are being made by two specialised aircraft, as detailed by the Max Planck Society.
Sue Shipp (Writing Prompts)
Sue has provided the following writing prompts to get your pen going:
- He wondered if he’d ever find the end of the rainbow.
- They went looking for rainbows and found …
- The silence was like music to her ears.
- The blackbird sang under a rainbow sky.
- She realised everything she needed, she already had.
- They sellotaped a rainbow to the front room window.
- She chalked a rainbow on the pavement.
- When he found the end of the rainbow, it wasn’t where he thought it would be.
- They built a small pond in the garden, and waited.
- Taking the kids rock pooling, made him feel like a kid again.
- He relished the time he could spend with his family.
- The rainbow is a symbol of hope …. and hope was all they had.
Megan Howson (Reflections)
Megan, a member of Portsmouth Friends of the Earth, gives some thoughts on the experience of lockdown:
“There have been some obvious positives from lockdown: less traffic, better quality air, quieter streets, a cleaner Solent, more awareness of wildlife (birds and fish are more evident). People are feeling the benefits of walking and cycling (cycling has doubled – mainly leisure cycling).
There has been more grassroots support of people for their neighbours: supporting people who are shielded, checking on elderly neighbours, sharing garden produce, doing shopping, picking up prescriptions, etc.
People are thinking about their connection to the land, about the world’s way of doing things that has morphed into a culture of consumption driven by global companies. People have learned to live a simpler life by not being able to go to shops as easily, by using and enjoying their back gardens, by preparing more of their own food (baking, etc).
There is a better understanding of the supply lines that bring our goods into the country and some people are seriously thinking about how they can promote more local production.
Perhaps people are also valuing their friends and relations more after a lockdown where they have been deprived of their company. It also appears that there is more trust by employers, who have seen how positive it can be for employees to work from home more often. If that continues, it will benefit the environment and individual wellness.”
Wilder Portsmouth
Andy Ames of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust gives this thoughts on wildlife during lockdown:
“The natural world has continued to rumble on, and even shown signs of benefiting from our absence. Across the world, the lockdowns may just be showing us how quickly the natural world around us can adapt and thrive in our absence when given some space. The current COVID-19 crisis has helped many of us re-think our priorities and in particular the value of our green and open spaces. For the lucky ones of us, extra time spent in our gardens, by the sea or in nearby countryside has been enjoyable, especially with the periods of nice weather.
We have seen seals and dolphins on our doorstep, and we have seen more bees, butterflies and birds in our neighbourhoods. if you have been enjoying the wilder side of lockdown then why not become a part of Wilder Portsmouth and help us bring more nature back to our city.
Communities and individuals across Portsmouth are growing and planting bee friendly plants, building bug hotels, adding bird and bat boxes to their homes, creating hedgehog highways and building ponds amongst the many small things that are helping nature return.”
Community Orchards
Trish Bell gives us an update on the Charles Dickens and Cornwallis Crescent Community Orchards:
“The activities of the Charles Dickens Community Orchards during lockdown were significantly reduced. We followed the advice from the Tree Council. All tree planting activity was ceased until further notice. However this did not stop people from caring and nurturing our trees.
We sent a call out to volunteers to please water our trees when they ventured outside for their exercise. We asked them to take empty milk bottles filled with water and to select a different tree each time. We believe this approach has helped to keep some of our trees alive.
The fruit trees will provide future fruit but must be cared for in order to thrive. Residents have been ringing up and emailing to volunteer throughout lockdown. Every week we have had new people wanting to join our list of avid waterers, tree checkers and planters.
The Cornwallis Crescent trees have lots of fruit this year. Foraging has already taken place for the berries. The plums have been harvested. Next will be apples and pears in later September. We are busy making notices for our trees so people harvest them at the right time.
Cornwallis Crescent has increased its biodiversity and has been awarded a plaque from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife trust.
On one of my visits to the Orchard I observed young people enjoying the peaceful area and watching the birds. It gives them a little pocket of heaven amongst the tower blocks. The trees represent hope for future generations; a place to shelter under when the trees become bigger. Looking after them provides a kind of therapy, of being at one with nature. It also helps to understand how things grow, about harvesting and using the fruit to help others.
Dennis and Jon meet regularly (and socially distance) to ensure our trees in and around Landport are watered. Pauline, Dennis and myself helped when we were able during lockdown with watering the Queens Street and Port Solent sites.
The trees bring hope to all of us in different ways. There’s relief in knowing they are helping to stop pollution and avert climate change. Much more work needs to be done to plant trees in our lovely city. Maybe some in gardens and on rooftops of housing blocks and offices could help.
It has been noticed that there is an increase in insects during lockdown, including more beautiful rare butterflies such as the peacock butterfly, and different types of bee.
Some of our volunteers have experienced a death in the family. Walking amongst the trees and watering is very therapeutic. Trees offer a chance to commune with nature, giving peace and tranquillity at a time when it is most needed.”
TreeSisters
In 2020, Pens of the Earth decided to fundraise in support of the tropical reforestation project TreeSisters. Our aim is to plant 2,000 trees. Every £10 plants around 25 trees. We are thrilled to be a small part of this exciting, rapidly-growing project which is intent on making a real difference to the future of our planet.
TreeSisters’ mission is: “To rapidly accelerate tropical reforestation by inspiring and channeling women’s nature-based feminine leadership into local and global action.” They aim to: “accelerate reforestation in the tropics by making it as normal to give back to nature as it currently is to take … by working with world class planting projects that use ethical planting methods to plant native tree species.”
Some thoughts from the TreeSisters website:
“What if everyone started giving back to the natural world in ways that restore the global forest? How fast could we make a difference in the face of climate change?
The tropical forests are more than ‘the lungs’ of our world – they are rain creators, weather stabilizers, air cleansers and conditioners for the whole planet. They are our major carbon sinks – absorbing excess atmospheric carbon that otherwise acidifies our oceans.
We are growing forest corridors to protect endangered species in Brazil, restoring mangrove and dry deciduous forests in Madagascar, replenishing the watershed of Mt Kenya, rescuing agricultural lands and restoring cloud forests in India, reforesting cleared and burnt lands in Nepal, and restoring highlands forest to protect critically endangered gorillas in Cameroon.”
Despite difficulties, and amidst precautions, planting continued during lockdown.
Tree sisters have now funded the planting of over 12 million trees, and the number is rapidly increasing. They shared this beautiful video in May 2020 to celebrate reaching their 10 million tree milestone.
Tree Sisters have also helped to highlight the impact of Covid-19 on indigenous populations, to raise awareness of the increased environmental destruction in the Amazon, and to help raise support for the indigenous populations seeking to protect their land. Throughout August they have been sharing videos with tribes and those working on behalf of the Amazon.
Tree Sisters co-founder, Claire Dubois, is featured speaking passionately and eloquently about our connection with indigenous environmental campaigners on this ‘From Harm to Harmony’ video, made by Stop Ecocide supporter, Kelly Roberts.
So far, Pens of the Earth have funded the planting of 480 trees through TreeSisters. If you’d like to help us plant more, click here.
Stop Ecocide
Stop Ecocide is a campaign dedicated to establishing the destruction of ecosystems as an international crime.
Co-founder Jojo Mehta says, “Making ecocide a crime will change the ground rules, closing the door to the destructive practices that have brought us to climate and ecological emergency … and paving the way for healthier, safer ways of operating. It’s the bridge to a world where nature and humanity are both protected and can begin to recover – together.”
And from a Stop Ecocide press release: “There is growing support for the move to make ecocide an international crime: last November Pope Francis called for ecocide as a “fifth category of crimes against peace”; in December the small island states of Vanuatu and the Maldives called for serious consideration of ecocide crime at the International Criminal Court’s assembly; earlier this year the Swedish workers movement urged Sweden to lead on proposing it; and just last month President Macron of France promised to champion it on the international stage.”