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If there is a positive in any of the current situation, perhaps it is the realisation of how important nature on our doorstep is, and that we must protect these vital resources as they come under pressure in the decades to come.

From where I live I can walk easily into wonderful ancient woods in almost any direction from my home.

And these are indeed magical and mysterious places.

The spring flowers this year have been exceptional and, if you walk a route regularly, you get to see the gradual sequence of emergence and flowering of celandines, wood anemones, wild daffodils, bluebells and stitchwort, wild garlic, and red campion.

This really is one of nature’s great delights and yet, very often, for most people perhaps, it simply passes by; for others they just take it for granted.

With lockdown, I have spoken with many local walkers who are rediscovering nature on their doorstep and this is something to cherish and to celebrate.

Local woods have wildlife riches found only there and these are associated with many centuries of woodland presence.

Walking there today, you are quickly away from the hustle and bustle of modern life and the ubiquitous background noise of traffic is soon replaced by birdsong and the hum of insects.

Gentle breezes cause the place green beech leaves to flicker and rustle, and on a warm day the atmosphere lifts the scent of first, bluebell.

Then a few days later, this becomes infused with wild garlic to form a delightful combination.

Furthermore, the colours and hues of freshly-emerged leaves and of the blues, yellows, pinks and whites of spring flowers suffuse the scene to become almost surreal – if this didn’t exist in nature, I think you would struggle to make it up or to imagine it.

But then we so often take this all for granted – which makes you think about our daily priorities.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Prof Ian D Rotherham, of Sheffield Hallam University, is a researcher, writer and broadcaster on wildlife and environmental issues.​​​​​​​