For the first time in days I left my self-imposed quarantine on the farm and headed for civilization.
I had a few “life essential” errands to run, and was somewhat astonished at how things have changed.
Businesses were shuttered.
Streets were devoid of traffic.
And at those places that remained open, strict social-distancing protocols were in place that made the civilized world a bit surreal.
While there’s no dispute that the coronavirus pandemic is serious, the entire period leading up to the current situation revealed just how fragile society can be during a crisis.
The threat of the disease, coupled with the mysteriousness of it, was enough to shatter any normalcy that we all took for granted in our lives.
People cleaned out grocery stores and, in some areas, lined up at gas stations.
Virtually every gathering, meeting, activity and event was cancelled and schools were closed. Baseball, hockey and other major sports were put on hold.
As the pandemic continued to build, so did the restrictions.
We were told not to go to work.
Stock up on enough food and medications to last for at least two weeks.
Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer.
Disinfect every surface that someone has ever laid a finger on.
Sneeze into the crook of your arm.
Avoid social gatherings.
Isolate.
Every fragment of our normal routines and daily lives was blown apart, and that’s the aspect I found most troubling.
Still, while uneasiness and hysteria seemed to become the new norm – perhaps justifiably so – there is one place that remained unfazed and untouched by the fear emanating from the coronavirus.
While the civilized world was turned upside down, the natural world remained a constant… it always does.
As traffic snarled and crowds swept through stores in town, in nature nothing changed.
Turkeys still gobbled.
Raptors, songbirds and geese continued to migrate back from the south.
Wood frogs called from an old farm pond.
Tree buds swelled and skunk cabbage bloomed from the damp soil along a forest stream.
While things in the manmade world turned a bit crazy, the patterns in nature continued unabated.
And that’s a good thing.
After being bombarded with news and updates about the coronavirus for days on end, it was time for a mental break. Yes, I knew the virus was something to be taken seriously, but I needed a respite.
That’s why I took my 7-year-old son and headed to the one place I knew was immune to all of the uncertainty and gloom.
We went for a walk in the woods.
I never had trouble finding and appreciating the solitude of the outdoors. But on this day, the serenity of the natural world seemed to be more magnified. More important.
Rather than being “plugged in” on my cell phone reading about the latest outbreak or dire prediction, my son and I spent the afternoon exploring the woods.
We searched for salamander eggs in a vernal pool, hunted for shed antlers along deer trails and studied the den on some critter inside a hollow tree.
The site of two turkey vultures soaring overhead compelled us to venture out to a nearby field where we took a break to enjoy the view across an expansive valley.
While the walk was only a temporary respite to get away from it all, being out in the fresh air and sunlight proved to be the perfect remedy for the burden that was on everyone’s mind.
In fact, this same remedy – fresh air and sunlight – was used for another pandemic that debilitated the nation a little more than 100 years ago.
When the Spanish flu pandemic struck the country in 1918 with deadly results, doctors turned to fresh air and sunlight as an antidote. Patients were moved outside where the fresh, clean air was actually a more sterile environment than indoors. And sunlight, doctors believed, was a natural disinfectant full of vitamin D, which, according to numerous studies, can help protect against respiratory infections like the flu.
Fresh air and sunlight were used as remedies a century ago, and while they might not be the cure for coronavirus, it certainly can’t hurt.
And neither can a walk in the woods.
As we focus on our physical well-being, a mental break from the anxiety and fear caused by the coronavirus is just as important.
For that, there’s no better remedy than spending a bit of time in nature.
- This story originally appeared in Pennsylvania Outdoor News.
