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The COVID-19 pandemic was perhaps an inevitability of our fast-paced and interconnected world. It disrupted working and non-working lives globally throughout 2020 and much of 2021. The short-term consequences were sudden, with millions of people furloughed and many more adjusting to homeworking thanks to their offices being closed. Some workers were deemed essential and continued to work in hospitals, grocery outlets, and other necessary infrastructure roles. Meanwhile new working arrangements were introduced to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The pandemic resulted in several national lockdowns. These meant that few could go anywhere other than stay at home, with occasional breaks for outdoor exercise, if such existed.

Richard Villar, a widely respected surgeon, was both locked down and intermittently active as an essential worker throughout the pandemic. He wrote a near-daily diary during this period, from late February 2020 until late July of the same year. The pandemic was then at its height, decisions were being made based on imprecise information, and certain individuals were thrust into the spotlight without adequate preparation or training to be so. Looking at them now, the Corona Diaries say much about life at the time, and plenty about the future, some of which has already come about.

The diaries are a fascinating look into the pandemic seen through the eyes of an experienced and knowledgeable healthcare worker. Do read and understand them, as this site, www.coronadiaries.com, now forms part of history.

Richard Villar lives in the UK’s Lake District, a rural area that forms a large National Park north-west of the city of Manchester. It is a magnet for global visitors. When he moved there several years ago, he had little knowledge of Nature but learned fast. He could see, as others also see, that mankind is on a downhill slide with extinction a near inevitability. Politicians debated, the public conversed, a few protested, but most had a something-must-be-done mentality, although that something had to come from others. Mankind was active in opinion but inert in resolving its troubles.

The reality is that every person on this planet, wherever they live, must do what they can to help Nature recover. The Bit Outside is part of Richard’s effort to do just that.

Please read this blog, understand Richard’s struggles and experiences with renaturing, and see how Nature is being avoidably harmed. Then think. How can you now help improve the situation? Without you being involved, without everyone playing their part, which means more than just holding an opinion, mankind will continue its downhill slide. There is little time, if any, to react.