Canada’s Parks Day falls on July 16’th this year. First celebrated in 1990, Parks Day is an opportunity for individuals to participate in hundreds of unique and fun events taking place in sites from coast to coast. Events are organized in national parks, national historic sites, provincial parks, and territorial parks, as well as in community and regional parks across country.

Increasingly regulated and restricted, dwindling islands we like to call parks are more precious than we could possibly realize. Although having a special day to honor them is fantastic, there really should be a year-round awareness to maintain and keep them clean and garbage free. When we make an effort to keep trails and waterways clean we see measurable results in a healthier and safer environment for wildlife and humans alike to enjoy. Many communities rely on tourism and a clean pristine park will entice tourists to return and mention it to others.

Parks and trails with trash bins are less likely to have litter lying around grounds. Get in habit of always packing a supply of bags to pick up any stray litter you might find along way. Rather than walking by trash and fretting about it – pick it up and be proactive! It is surprising how good it begins to feel when you make a difference.

I went to a place downriver where there are no buildings, no sound of cars, no people. It's a place 'out of time' where you can shift between centuries and just 'be there' at any time as it has remained essentially unchanged for hundreds of years. Ever since I went to view Cornish solar eclipse of 2000 there it had become one of my 'special places'. The river Fowey forks together just here and then starts to open out into St. Winnow Pool and valley bottom is secluded by mature mixed woodland on every side.

After taking a couple of photos of 'light sparkling on River', I shut my eyes to take in sounds - wind in trees, distant sounds of farm animals, subtle and playful noises of water. After a few moments I heard a fluttering behind me - and opened my eyes to see a Robin perched on top of my camera bag, not even 18 inches away. It stared at me, head cocked, and flew off to a nearby tree to pour out its fantastic song just above my head. I saw another one, slightly smaller, hopping about nearby, shyer than her mate.

I took camera from bag and hung it round my neck. The tiny bird was just within zoom reach and I got a couple of shots of it singing. 'How lucky am I'? I thought. Just pics I need. After a few minutes bird stopped its beautiful song, and flew off to another tree nearby where it started 'clucking'. A sort of 'tick tick' noise like a fisherman's reel. Robins make this kind of noise sometimes too. I wished I had some seeds or breadcrumbs to tempt it closer, but I had taken no food with me. I clucked back to my best ability, matching its noises as best I could without a Robin beak or larynx (do they have larynxes ? )

When it clucked once, I did. Then twice. Then three times, altering intervals between clucks like bird. It hopped nearer and nearer. Looking at me from various positions. And then it flew over and actually stood on my knee. Very carefully I lifted camera and turned it on, hoping little electronic noises wouldn't scare it. It stayed and I got a wonderful close-up.

But then it started 'posing'. You're not going to believe this but it moved its head around like a top model - giving me angles from left and right and front, staying right there on my knee for what seemed like a few minutes. I know it sounds like an 'anthromorphic projection' (where humans invest animals and nature with their own 'motivations', which really annoys me sometimes) - but that is really what it seemed like. It's like this Robin really wanted to be published - and now it is !

Even days later I feel so rewarded with this intimate connection with a wild animal - and I just had to share it with you.

So I have to go back there with a gift for this friendly Robin and his mate. I wondered what do Robins eat and stuff. What would make a good gift for this friendly creature, perhaps best-loved of all birds with its sweet but slightly melancholy song ?