To mark the first day of spring after what feels like one of the longest, hardest and darkest winters, we are launching our Country Days blog. We hope you enjoy our first post, written by one of our trustees, Caroline Heaton, about the signs of spring in the Bedfordshire countryside.
Let us celebrate the welcome arrival of Spring and watch the beauty of the countryside develop. The recent rain has enriched the land and the gentle warmth of the sun is now bringing new life to trees and plants. The rural landscape is changing to various shades of green, and fresh colours appear in the form of blossom on trees, snowdrops and primroses growing near hedges.
Animals, birds and insects are becoming more active with many preparing for the arrival of young to ensure they are able to thrive at the time of year when food and conditions are at their most favourable. Listen and you can hear the skylarks singing in the sky above the fields and woodpeckers drumming on trees in the woods.
Last month David Attenborough urged people to go into the countryside and spend a few minutes silently contemplating the glories of the natural world, saying “extraordinary things happen in the countryside”.