Digital tools can encourage us to spend more time in nature and reduce screen time, according to a journalist who has embraced a slower lifestyle. Hannah Rochell, who writes about sustainable living on her Substack Slowette, shares six ways technology can help us live more in the present.
Identifying birdsong
Rochell, a birdwatcher since age nine, struggled to identify calls until she discovered the Merlin app. Developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the free app records sounds and suggests nearby birds using location as a guide.
She had been misidentifying wrens, blackcaps, willow warblers and dunnocks as robins for four decades. Now she spends five minutes in the morning and evening sitting in her garden or by an open window, using the app to enjoy birdsong. Merlin has also spurred her to take her dogs on more interesting forest walks.
Exploring new trails
For those wanting more than brisk woodland walks, Strava heatmaps can help discover new routes. Ultramarathon runner Flora Beverley says heatmaps build confidence because you know roughly where you'll end up: "It means I can get myself lost on a run and know I can still find my way back." She adds that once used for a bit, it becomes easy to see the hallmark of 'fun' trails – twisty, windy, on a hill, great views – just by looking at the map.
Getting better at crafts and learning to drum
Rochell learned to knit using video tutorials from Wool and the Gang, which provided a visual aid that gave her confidence to make a second, better bonnet. She also plans to learn drums at age 50, using a secondhand electric kit with headphones and YouTube tutorials to practice without disturbing her husband.
Functional accessories and wearable tech are also getting more good looking, with jewellery-style products such as Loop's Swarovski earplugs and Oura's rings, which track sleep, steps and heart rate. Rochell prefers the subtlety of a ring to a smartwatch.
Understanding plant life
For gardeners, the PictureThis app helps distinguish hemlock water dropwort (deadly) from wild carrot (not deadly), and creeping buttercup (a thug) from field buttercup (a beauty). Rochell uses it for selective weeding, keeping plants that benefit the ecosystem, such as native pussy willow that took up residence next to her barbecue.
