Our big nature challenge – 30 Days Wild – is back this June

Our big nature challenge – 30 Days Wild – is back this June

Let nature inspire you every day during our wildest month!
image of yoga at Staveley woodlands credit Cumbria Wildlife Trust

Why not try some outdoor yoga for 30 Days Wild? © Cumbria Wildlife Trust

30 Days Wild, the UK’s biggest nature challenge run by The Wildlife Trusts, invites people of all ages to connect with nature every single day during the month of June. This year there’s a new twist: 30 Days Wild will take you on a week-by-week adventure moving through five different themes:

  • tune into the senses
  • movement and play
  • learning and discovery
  • helping nature
  • emotional connection to nature 

These themes will help guide you, your family and friends through the challenge helping you reach that 30 day target, whether tuning into the sound of bird life, moving through your local woods by moonlight, building a den, discovering an unexplored country lane or local park, making time to build a bug hotel or owl box or starting a diary of your day-to-day wildlife sightings.

New #30DaysWild activity packs include a wild bee poster along with seeds and other materials to inspire you to do something wild every single day.

#30DaysWild is funded thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery and has grown a huge and dedicated fan base – over two million people have taken part over the last 9 years.

Last year over 500,000 people took part in the challenge including 114,245 households, 11,740 schools, 898 care homes and 1,384 businesses. Popular activities include wildlife-watching, eating outdoors, planting wildflower seeds and listening to birdsong. Other favourite pastimes included bug-hunting, fruit-picking, growing plants and flowers, exploring a nature reserve, creating a mini pond or going on a beach or river walk.

Stephen Trotter, CEO of Cumbria Wildlife Trust said: "#30DaysWild is a brilliant motivator for us all, for getting outside and experiencing all the amazing things nature has to offer. The natural world is struggling but there are so many things that we can do to help - just noticing nature is a great place to start.

"So what about squeezing a bit of wildlife-watching into a lunchtime walk?  Or breakfasting outdoors, listening to birdsong? No matter how brief, spending a few minutes each day noticing nature can bring huge benefits."

"Here at Cumbria  Wildlife Trust we want to make wildlife matter more to everyone. Our aim is to inspire and support 1 in 4 people to take action for wildlife. 30 Days Wild is a great way for people of all ages to start exploring the many different ways they can have fun, relax and learn in nature.

“We all know how much happier and healthier we feel when connecting with nature – and we have research* to prove it – so save the date!”

The Wildlife Trusts provide free resources for everyone who signs up. Just sign up here . There is also a #30DaysWild session planner specially designed for teachers to use in class.

Don't forget to tag us in on social media! #30DaysWild

image of girl blowing seeds 30 Days Wild credit Tom & Evie Photography

Why not  sign up for 30 Days Wild? © Tom & Evie Photography

Notes

* The University of Derby conducted a 5-year evaluation of 30 Days Wild participants from 2015-2020: it found that people reported they felt happier and healthier from taking part, with positive effects lasting for at least two months afterwards.

  • See a summary, 30 Days Wild – a five-year review, can be downloaded here.  
  • 30 Days Wild: Development and Evaluation of a Large-Scale Nature Engagement Campaign to Improve Well-Being by Miles Richardson, Adam Cormack, Lucy McRobert, Ralph Underhill was published Feb 2016. Online here.