Reflections on the Outdoors during COVID-19

Let’s throw it back to February 2020 for a second - just 18 months ago, and yet what feels like a whole different life. Spring is around the corner, we’re getting excited for some nicer weather, maybe even planning for a summer vacation… and then the world comes to a screeching halt.

Photo by Chesapeake Bay Program

It’s still surreal to think about how much we’ve collectively gone through since then. The mass tragedy, the anxiety, the isolation, the economic burdens experienced by so many - we’ve barely begun to wrap our heads around the impact of all of this. Particularly early on in the pandemic when we didn’t know much about the virus or how it was spread, I remember the palpable fear of doing the most basic tasks like going to the grocery store or putting gas in my car. I don’t know yet how we are all going to deal with the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic long-term - but I do know that with the chances I got to break up the months of isolation by spending a little time in nature, I'm better off.

I’ve always enjoyed getting outdoors, but it became my saving grace and one of the only ways I kept myself going during lockdown - separated from most of my family and friends, working within the confines of Zoom, worried for the safety of people I care about while watching the COVID-19 caseload tick higher and higher. Heading outside and taking a walk with my dog became the happiest part of my day. Hitting a local hiking trail in Patapsco State Park or Oregon Ridge or Cunningham Falls became a weekend pastime. Disconnecting from the never-ending onslaught of bad news, even just for an hour a day, was like salve on a wound. 

The health benefits of spending time in nature are numerous and well-researched. It not only allows us physical activity, but also lowers blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduces anxiety, boosts mood and improves the immune system. Health experts and local governments are increasingly recognizing the importance of expanding green spaces, even in urban areas.

We’re lucky here in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to have so much natural bounty close to our front doors to explore and enjoy. Even being able to take a walk around the neighborhood, noticing the different plants and trees, is a gift. There is so much around us to appreciate if we just take the time to slow down, stop doomscrolling and take stock of where we are. Connecting to nature - with the people we love that we experience it with - is something that the pandemic taught me to appreciate more than ever. 

It will be important not to forget these lessons even as pandemic life changes and we may be able to start planning for the future again. There is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the trajectory of the virus but getting outside and connecting to nature is a tried and true way for us to take care of ourselves. Let’s never take it for granted again.