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Staying at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during this pandemic has compelled us to explore alternative ways to socialise, work, learn, keep fit, connect with nature, meditate and be entertained. Whether it’s using Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Houseparty, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts or another of the myriad of virtual meeting apps, technology is enabling us to transition to a ‘new normal’ during lockdown.

Although some platforms have been around for a while, new ones are coming on stream as well as organisations innovating in how they share their services – often for free. Continuing to use such services online could contribute to more sustainable lifestyles; making it possible to adapt from excessive, polluting travel to living life a little more virtually.

Could conferences and other meetings continue to move online? Could remote working become normalised? Will we continue to engage more with virtual activities more generally? Whether or not this will come to light in the future, here’s a handy list of some things to do online now during this troubling time:

• Explore a huge range of famous museum collections via  from the comfort of your living room. While you’re at it, why not see what your Renaissance portrait would look like by uploading your photo with  or get involved in the '' by recreating famous art works at home.
  
  
• Even though the International Space Station (ISS) crew are back on Earth, you can still enjoy a to help keep things in perspective. Or tour Nasa’s  facilities by downloading their app.
  
  
• Stay closer to home and virtually visit , the and solve a murder mystery in the virtual tour. If you live centrally in Brighton, why not take a as part of your designated daily exercise. If you don’t live in central Brighton, here’s a in case you miss this iconic view!
  
  
• See to what they would have looked like in their prime or visit famous landmarks and buildings such as the , , the and the . You could even go on a if you were so inclined.
  
  
• Wander around in the United States with Google Earth, including , the and .
  
  
• Stream plays, operas and ballets for free including performances from the , , , , , as well as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘’ YouTube Channel which streams each Friday at 7pm. Check the programmes for the others, and watch their previously streamed performances which are available for a limited time after the stream date. If you don’t fancy sitting through an entire play, you can watch Patrick Stewart reciting a ‘ instead.
  
  
• As well as the usual TV media players such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, All 4 and ITV Player adding more titles during this time, as a member of staff at Sussex you can access and sign up to to watch films and TV programmes. If you want to watch your favourite shows or films with your physically distant friends and relatives, try the web browser extension to sync up and chat along while you watch.
  
  
• Some podcast recommendations include Professor Dave Goulson as a guest on ‘ earlier this month, and Dr Chris Sandam discussing his rewilding research on Sussex’s 'Impacted' podcast. There's always classic '' episodes to catch up on as well as Louis Theroux's new podcast '' coming soon. In addition, local station are going strong during this difficult time if you need a break from COVID-19 updates from mainstream media, or explore world-wide radio stations on .
  
  
• Join a quarantine quiz with Big Drop Brewing Company’s weekly , or Edinburgh-based every evening from 7pm. You can also play pre-set quizzes with your friends on Zoom with – or create your own of course! Apart from quizzes, other games popular during lockdown right now are '' and ''.
  
  
• Watch a wildlife webcam live feed such as the RSPB’s and the various  including bats, birds and badgers. Check how the otters, jellyfish and penguins are doing at the and the livestreams. at Folly Farm in Pembrokeshire at 11am and 2pm each day. Animal sanctuaries also offering webcams such as and the live feeds.
  
  
• As well as Sussex Library and local , other libraries are making more of their collections available online including and the . Find out what other libraries are doing online around the UK at . Why not join or start an online Book Club using forums such as . Explore local Sussex heritage collections and dig into your family history at .
  
  
• Delve into a new topic or brush up on an existing skill with a free online course. Search a variety of courses offered by , the , , , and  to name a few. You could also learn a language with , learn from professional photographers with , and make use of 's 3-month free online guitar lessons.
  
  
• Catch up on the WHO’s Global Citizen series of home music performances. For other home music performances see , home performances, virtual concerts, Evanston’s SPACE ‘’ series of live gigs on Facebook,  'The Drop' series of conversations and performances, and the . Look out for upcoming live streamed concerts on . Stream DJ sets with the or create your own synchronised party with where you can mash up tracks with an AI DJ whilst chatting with your friends. 
  
  
• If you need a mindful moment, join Sussex’s Lead Chaplain Christopher McDermot every  for meditation. Hotels around the world are to make you feel like you’re on holiday which could be an another way to unwind!
  
  
• Connect with community by joining the group. Sign up to your local neighbourhood online hub to reach out or to see if you can lend a hand to someone nearby. Find out how to support food waste charities such as , and the , plus for providing food to the city’s most vulnerable people. If you grow your own fruit and veg, join the ‘’ campaign. Get a Veg Box from and buy another box for someone in need. Girls Who Grind are offering to send coffee to a health care worker when you buy a pack of their ‘’ coffee. Support local businesses and find out which of your favourite restaurants, cafés and bars are now delivering during this time on and websites.
  
  
• As well as clapping for carers each Thursday at 8pm, why not create a '' poster to thank our postal workers and delivery drivers, or give them a thumbs up when they come round - from a safe 2m distance of course!
  
  
• While the sun is shining, why not have a screen break and go outside and potter with some plants. You could conduct a , and create habitats and highways for wildlife in your garden. Even if you have no garden at all you can still grow some plants in pots on or . If you can’t get hold of any seeds, try from food scraps.
  
  
• When the sun goes down, why not do a bit of stargazing. Use websites such as to find out what is visible in the night sky where you are.

• Looking for a fitness video other than ? Try Sussex Sport's free online classes. Or what about a  for an old school exercise fix. If you're not feeling energetic, try a 5 minute desk yoga practice with . Namaste.
  
  
• Finally, since you're here, why not read the inspiring blogs as part of the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP) forum responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Please note that these activities were correct as of Thursday 23 April 2020 when this blog was published. Some of these services may change.

As more of us are using new online services, apps and devices at this time remember to be aware of your  and also to make yourself familiar with Sussex ITS security advice.

This blog is part of the

SSRP Forum: the Pandemic and Sustainability 

This forum aims to contribute to the analysis of the impact of the pandemic on sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to offer policy recommendations on how to respond to this unprecedented challenge. 

The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) presents us with an unprecedented challenge. We see losses of human life around the world, while one can hardly think what will happen if and when the pandemic reaches poorer countries with weaker economic and health structures. We see countries shutting down their economies to avoid the spread of the virus, as well as employing unprecedented measures of social distancing and population lockdown. We see whole economic sectors and households entering the intensive care of public financial support. In less than a month, the pandemic has redefined the priorities, parameters and boundaries of ‘what is possible’ in much of the world that we constructed since the Second World War.

The most urgent question is how to deal with the humanitarian crisis currently evolving and prevent it from getting out of control at a global scale. But a question we must also face is how the currently unprecedented mobilisation of public resources will be used to support our transition to a sustainable future, rather than a return to a socio-environmentally unsustainable past. One can hardly overstate the urgency of both these tasks. We in the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP) community aim to contribute to this ‘mobilisation’ effort by setting up this Forum which aims to bring together experience, knowledge, ideas and recommendations to inform public responses to the pandemic and the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at both local and global levels.

• Contribute to the SSRP Forum
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