The 'Nature Is Healing' meme emerged in March 2020 during the early stages of the global COVID-19 lockdowns. It began with viral, though often misleading, social media posts claiming that wildlife like dolphins and swans were returning to the canals of Venice because of the lack of human activity. While many of these reports were quickly debunked, the phrase 'nature is healing' and the concept of dolphins returning to Italy became a staple of internet culture. The meme eventually transitioned into a satirical format where users would post photos of absurd or non-natural objects—like shopping carts in rivers or fictional characters in the wild—with the caption 'Nature is healing, we are the virus,' mockingly celebrating the 'return' of ridiculous things to their natural habitats.