As an adolescent Londoner revolving my life around the urban setting the city possesses, I have not  particularly been motivated to take walks in parks or take a trip to local landscapes like Box Hill. It is only after becoming a Y12 sixth former that I began to understand the importance of embracing natural scenery - choosing weekly walks as my Gold DofE assignment being one of my push factors. The bottom line is, these underappreciated facilities are easily accessible, with our ‘surprisingly green city’ possessing around 3,000 parks as well as a vibrant network of reservoirs and riversides. So why can’t we just detach ourselves from the growing cyberverse we call modern life and experience the true beauty around us?

Within the past year Gold DofE has given me the privilege of spending an hour a week strolling through local parks and hills with friends - but why didn’t I want to take a casual 60 minutes outside before? It is clear that the romanticising of the stay-at-home lazy lifestyle has corrupted our young minds, our idea of fun on the weekend being a Netflix session and around 8 hours scrolling endlessly. As stimulating as this can be, Londoners don’t appreciate the little scenes of paradise we have just around the corner - an experience rural settlers get to indulge daily. 

While collecting evidence from my weekly walks and submitting them to my DofE leader, I have begun to appreciate the joy that a simple time away into nature can bring to a troubled teen’s life. Uploading my routes to my walking app Strava (which you can download for free!) as well as photographically documenting my journeys has motivated me to continue embracing the green spaces we have unlimited access to, with at least 5 local parks within the reach of my home.

Through my walks I have noticed members of the public and observed all their different motives - some walking their dogs, some having fun with their children and some people, even the elderly, treasuring the tranquillity of public gardens through winter and brighter months, and this has lead me to question why younger generations are so hesitant to cherish the blissful scene we call our local parks.

It is understandable that teenagers with an urban lifestyle don’t see the point in ‘frolicking’ in the woods. It is also clear that local parks are seen as a boring place for only children and the elderly, the closest thing to excitement being the stationary trees that surround. However, as evident from the photographs I have collected over the past 8 months, nature is a simple delight that would benefit all.

The most important lesson I have learnt from my growing appreciation for nature is the beauty of our environment - not just the fruits of mother nature which are undervalued in such a populated and advancing city, but also the people who relish in it - our friends and family.