The decline of the house sparrow in British gardens appears to be reversing, according to a national garden survey conducted by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds:
"Despite everything that’s going on in the world, nature is still doing its thing. Birds are singing and blossom is bursting. Watching wildlife, whether from a window or a balcony or even online, can offer many of us hope, joy and a welcome distraction, and so we are keen to help you carry on connecting with the natural world," said Beccy Speight, the RSPB’s chief executive.
More than 1,000 firms sign up to buy and give away plant blooms to help curb losses caused by COVID-19:
"We want it to grow," said Michiel Brockhus of Van der Ende, which instigated the scheme by buying 1,000 stems for its staff and challenging another three companies or individuals to do the same.
A National Post column features the ways in which sourdough baking is proving a formidable and popular hobby:
"Measuring and mixing, slapping and folding, shaping and scoring. The process of making my latest loaf of sourdough was, as ever, immensely rewarding... I’m not alone in finding joy in the kitchen during COVID-19. If social media is any indication, pandemic baking is providing relief for many. Sourdough especially, after years of gaining traction, has exploded in popularity."
Sculptor Timothy Schmalz has new sculptures that bring Dante’s Divine Comedy to life:
“I’ve been working on this for the last year,” he explained. “I thought I'd do what hasn't been done in 700 years — create sculptures depicting scenes from all 100 of Dante’s cantos.”
The New England Patriots' team plane brings 1.2 million N95 medical masks to United States:
"It is an honor for our family to be a part of this humanitarian mission," Robert Kraft said in a statement. "We knew that purchasing greatly-needed N95 masks and providing the Patriots plane to expedite their delivery to local hospitals would immediately help protect our courageous healthcare professionals.
And, for some comedic relief – goats have taken over a small town in Wales, where the streets are mostly empty:
“They are curious, goats are,” town Coun. Carol Marubbi told the BBC. “I think they are wondering what’s going on like everybody else.”
