Two things became apparent to me as I wandered the streets.
The first was just how far removed from nature I felt. A plastic bird flew above a trellis of plastic flowers. It was literally just a short bike ride from those magnificent trees, but here life was lived indoors – NO BALL GAMES – and nature was wilfully excluded from so many gardens – or should I write ‘gardens’?
I was very struck by the thought that if I did not know about the woods and trails so close to where we were, then nothing here in this town would help me find them. I wanted to put up some giant signs saying ‘there’s some brilliant nature this way, and it’s free to visit!’ or to knock on everyone’s door and ask who wanted to come on a bike ride with me.
