What is #BlossomWatch?
Charity launches campaign to lift Britons’ spirits by emulating Japan’s hanami custom
The National Trust is urging locked-down Britons to reconnect with nature by taking part in a new springtime tradition based on a Japanese custom.
The conservation charity is encouraging anyone who sees a tree in bloom - whether from their home or during the once daily trip out to exercise permitted under coronavirus containment restrictions - to share the experience on social media using #BlossomWatch.
So what is the #BlossomWatch campaign?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The National Trust wants to encourage people of all ages to “take a moment to pause, actively notice and enjoy the fleeting beauty of blossom”, and to “share our blossom images on social media, using #BlossomWatch, for those who can’t see it for themselves”, says Country Living magazine.
Andy Beer, a nature expert at the charity, said: “It’s really easy to take this moment in nature for granted. Celebrating blossom is a pivotal, seasonal moment that can often be all too fleeting and we want to do all we can to help people and families at home to enjoy and take stock of a special moment in the calendar.
“At a time when people are being asked not to travel, blossom trees can be seen on city streets, in gardens and in public parks. There are many spectacular orchards across the nation, including those owned by the National Trust, but the awesome spectacle of blossom is on display in the neighbourhoods of many lucky people.”
People nationwide can “share the joy” by posting pictures online of the blossom that they spot, says Beer.
“With the southwest of the country typically a bit warmer than the north, we are likely to see wave after wave of the different types of fruit blossom sweeping across the country over the next three months,” he added.
The National Trust is also asking #BlossomWatch participants to tag their location, so that the charity can launch a blossom map next year.
The #BlossomWatch initiative is part of the National Trust’s “Everyone Needs Nature” campaign to help people become more connected with the outdoors.
Research commissioned by the organisation has found that only a small proportion of Britons – just 7% of children and 6% of adults – often celebrate key events in nature’s calendar such as the first day of spring, the solstice or harvest.
Where does the blossom-spotting idea originate?
The National Trust’s new initiative is inspired by hanami, “the Japanese custom of relishing the fleeting sight and scent of blossom”, says The Guardian.
A big event in the Japanese calendar, hanami celebrates the arrival of spring and springtime blossom, and centres around flowering cherry trees, or sakura, which reach peak blossom in late March and early April.
“Hanami can be just a stroll in the park, but it traditionally also involves a picnic party under the blooming trees,” says Japan-guide.com. “Hanami parties have been held in Japan for many centuries, and today are held in public and private gardens and parks across the country.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
What message is Trump sending with his Cabinet picks?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION By nominating high-profile loyalists like Matt Gaetz and RFK Jr., is Trump serious about creating a functioning Cabinet, or does he have a different plan in mind?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ecuador's cloud forest has legal rights – and maybe a song credit
Under the Radar In a world first, 'rights of nature' project petitions copyright office to recognise Los Cedros forest as song co-creator
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The fight for fungi
Under the Radar The UK and Chile leading push for fungi to be placed on the same level as flora and fauna in global conservation efforts
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
A human foot found on Mount Everest is renewing the peak's biggest mystery
Under the radar The discovery is reviving questions about who may have summited the mountain first
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
A new investigation has put the spotlight on roadside zoos
In the Spotlight Over 150 allegations against these zoos have been made over the past decade
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Wildlife populations drop a 'catastrophic' 73%
Speed Read The decline occurred between 1970 and 2020
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The war on polar bears
Under the Radar Clashes with human settlements are on the rise, as melting ice drives hungry predators inland in search of food
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Understanding and saving the biocrust, Earth's living skin
The Explainer The planet's protective layer is being destroyed
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Hippos can fly, briefly
Speed Read When hippos get moving, all four feet leave the ground for about 15% of their stride cycles
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published