As we emerge from the winter months and look forward to spring, I always marvel at the awakening of nature and the wonderful effect this has on us all. We start to feel our energy rising, we feel happier, perhaps less stressed. We look forward to longer daylight hours. We listen to the birdsong and watch the trees wake up and come into leaf. Two things of joy for me are the dawn chorus - all the birds singing their hearts out to welcome the new day, and the first wild daffodils.

I was especially pleased to see the beautiful wild daffodils this year. It may still be possible to see them in bloom carpeting the fields, woods and road verges around Dymock, Kempley and Oxenhall. I’m sure they’d bring a smile and make you feel good, so why not give yourself a treat and visit the famous Golden Triangle? Thanks to the dedicated hard work of a group of volunteers, the little wild daffodils are now once again flourishing. It’s a wonderful example of how we humans can help species recover.

We know being in nature is good for us, and sadly, we also know nature is in trouble, with the loss of species well documented. Notable losses for me are the return of the swallows, swifts and house martins. The sky seemed full of them when I was a child, but last year, I saw just four.

Even small changes in our actions can have a huge beneficial impact on the biodiversity that we share this planet with, everything is here for a reason, and everything is connected. There is so much we can do to help and it really doesn’t require much effort. In fact, sometimes no effort at all!

Please don’t use pesticides or be too tidy in the garden. Even a small patch of long grass or a small pile of deadwood will help insect life. And please resist tidying up in the autumn. Winter is a hard time for birds and seed heads are a valuable food source, so it’s good to leave that clearing up until spring. Perhaps this year think about planting flowers and shrubs for butterflies and pollinators, including night-scented flowers which help the moths and other night pollinators. Consider putting up bird boxes, especially for migrating birds.

A clear moonlit starry night is a wonder to see, so let’s not lose it to artificial light pollution. Domestic security lights should provide the minimum level of illumination and be fitted with detectors rather than kept on all night. We’ll help protect our nocturnal wildlife and use less energy into the bargain.

Let’s celebrate the changing seasons and all the good that nature gives us, and in return give nature a helping hand wherever we can.