It's officially the first week of the school holidays. We are supposed to be out bush at the Wild by Nature Village Camp in Riddells Creek. But we're not. Like everyone else we're confined to home.

Luckily for us there's now a virtual village where we can connect several times a day online and also share what we have been creating and discovering. The best bit of the virtual village so far has been the daily invitations drawing us out of the house and into nature. 

Here are the invitations we received during the course of the week:

Day 1 - set up a camp in your house or back yard (some folks have put up a tent in their lounge rooms).

Day 2 - notice something you haven't seen before in your backyard / local park. Plus an invitation to create a treasure hunt for your family with objects or draw a map of your backyard / local park.

Day 3 - make your own nature journal and draw in it something you discover on your sit spot.

Day 4 - explore your wild self by imitating an animal using camouflage

Day 5 - make a magic wand using a stick

I'm really enjoying setting up a 'camp' in the backyard. I'm feeling so grateful for our little spot of green and thankful we're no longer in a flat. We have a little grove of trees next to the shed that we never use and this week I felt drawn to setting up there. Usually I throw down a rug on the grass near the clothesline just outside the back door which means I don't have to go very far at all. So far there's a fire pit waiting to be christened surrounded by logs to sit on. In one corner I've strung up a tarp and we spend most days sitting under it, reading, drawing and chatting. Yesterday I added a bit of bunting and today I plan to set up a nature table and string up the hammock. It's starting to feel like our little piece of camp. I'll post more pics as I add to the space.

I'm also heading out for daily walks or rides along the trail that runs next to the creek near our house. We're normally so busy we don't get time to come here. So far I've seen a rabbit, yellow-tailed black cockatoo and a new bird I've yet to id. Plus lots of people. Our suburb is usually a built wasteland, devoid of life. Now we see lots of people out and about walking their dogs or riding their bikes. In a strange way I feel more connected now that we're in isolation.

I'm counting my blessings at the moment and feeling so grateful for our community and the enforced isolation and social distancing which is providing time to slow down and breathe. We have time to appreciate what we have right here. And I now know our backyard really is wonderful.

Note: I updated this post on 4/4/2020 with the rest of the week's activities from Firekeepers and more pictures of our 'camp'.