Supporting you through Covid-19

Editorial: Simon Ross and John Davidson

The launch of geography southwest coincides with an extraordinary moment in time, a global pandemic that will almost certainly redefine our world. However we define ‘normal’, these are certainly not normal times and neither, one suspects, will we return to the normality that existed before.

At this stage, it’s impossible to know how the pandemic will affect our everyday lives in the future – the world of work, education, social and economic interaction, travel and the environment will surely be markedly transformed.

Despite the dreadful human and economic costs across the world, humanity has been forced to take time to reflect. Is the model of constant economic growth really sustainable? Has globalisation grown out of control at the expense of localisation? Can we really continue to damage our environment given the immeasurable consequences of an environmental Armageddon?

Many of us have experienced glimpses of what the future could be. A place built on strong local communities, considerately supporting one another . . . air, clean enough to breath and pure enough to see distant hills . . . and an audio soundtrack of birdsong replacing the rumble of traffic or roar of aeroplanes. Our powers of creativity and innovation have been extraordinary, brought alive by tales of endurance, compassion and good humour. Why does it take something so utterly horrific to bring out the best in humanity?

Highlighting the lockdown positives: reflections for the future?

During the extended period of lockdown in April and May, many people were able – often rather unexpectedly – to reconnect with their neighbourhood environments, delighting in the small things previously overlooked; the wildflowers, the tree blossom, animal tracks and the sound of (near) silence broken only by melodious birdsong. A pause button had been pressed, creating a unique opportunity for reflection and the chance to reset.

At Holkham, England’s largest national nature reserve, wardens noticed a greater proliferation of wildlife, such as sparrowhawks, stoats and deer. In a ‘normal’ year, over a million people visit the reserve; in spring 2020, the area was deserted with car parks and visitor centres closed. Beach-nesting birds, including oystercatchers, sandwich terns and the endangered ringed plover thrived.

During the lockdown, air quality improved dramatically both in the UK and across the world. In the UK, levels of particulates and nitrogen dioxide fell by 30-50% in several cities including London, Bristol, Birmingham and Cardiff. As polluting transport and industry ground to a halt, similar falls were recorded across the world, including in Italy, China and India. In Delhi, one of the world’s most polluted cities, residents enjoyed unprecedented clean air and distant views of the Himalayas. Global carbon emissions also fell significantly, with the massive reduction in flights contributing to this.

Goats in Llandudno, deer in London or wild boar in Haifa (Israel), there were many reports of wildlife returning to environments now emptied of people. In Thailand, rare leatherback sea turtles returned to beaches deserted due to the lack of tourists.

Despite the dreadful human consequences of this pandemic, the enforced period of lockdown shed a light onto what our world could look like if we choose a new ‘normality’ in the months and years ahead, learning the lessons from a pre-lockdown lifestyle that many would now consider to be anything but ‘normal’.

We at geography southwest will do all we can to support teachers and students at this difficult time and going forward. Through our website and social media platforms, we will endeavour to provide you with a wide variety of high quality resources and to keep you updated with resource developments elsewhere. Some of our recent resources include:

Fieldwork

• Introductions to GCSE fieldwork investigations and NEA investigations written by top fieldwork consultants Keith Bartlett and Steve Durman
• Ideas for fieldwork investigations in the school grounds

Secondary (16+)

• New article ideal for A level considering the hydrology of contrasting river basins

Explore SW

• New teaching ideas to student investigations using GIS – ideal for home learning

University

• An insight into careers for geographer, excellent for use when students are opting for GCSEs or A levels
• New insightful article considering links between digital mapping and globalisation, written by Professor Jerry Brotton (Queen Mary University of London)

Visit SW

• An expanding selection of walks and places to visit in the SW, beautifully presented and available as downloadable documents

Please make contact with your ideas and suggestions either via our social media platforms or the website . . . and please spread the word!

Simon Ross and John Davidson

August 2020

Image credit: Globe view by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels