Organised by The Wildlife Trusts, the national federation of 46 wildlife trusts (which includes Avon Wildlife Trust), 30 Days Wild is the UK's month-long nature campaign, now in its fifth year. When you sign up for the challenge, you get a free pack in the post with a wallchart, poster and stickers, and an interactive booklet of Random Acts of Wildness - 101 ideas for doing something wild every day in June. You can get inspiring emails from Avon Wildlife Trust, and, if you have a smart phone, you can download the 30 Days Wild smart phone app with 101 Random Acts of Wildness.
A Random Act of Wildness is anything that you can do in an average working day to bring nature into your life. It can take seconds, minutes, or if you lose yourself completely for a few hours (read a book sitting in a park, anyone?). You can make up your own wild actions too. Share them on social media with the hashtag #30dayswild (as well as straight from the 30 Days Wild app). Bloggers love getting involved and some publish dedicated posts about their Wild June.
30 Days Wild is a great opportunity for all kinds of people to learn about nature. There are special postal packs designed for individuals, families, schools and, for the first time, care homes. There is also digital pack for businesses with ideas such as having a meeting outside.
The care home pack has flash cards with ideas for people working or living in care homes. Perhaps residents can teach staff how to whistle through grass. If you are homebound, you can sit by the open window and see how many different bird songs you can hear. One housebound blogger wrote about the entertaining squirrels which popped by the windowsill to visit.
30 Days Wild reminds us why nature is important. We take it for granted but our economy and health depend on it with. Nature provides what we need to survive: food, air and water. We are part of nature (not apart from it).
It does us good to get outside. Research shows spending time outdoors can improve a person’s wellbeing. Doctors now offer social prescribing on the NHS - non-medical treatments with health benefits. For example, feeling low and isolated may be better treated with community gardening, than medication.
The more time we spend in nature, the more we learn to appreciate it. Over the past four years, The Wildlife Trusts been working with the University of Derby to find out about the impact that 30 Days Wild has on people taking part. Spending time outdoors can help you take more actions for wildlife, as well as feeling happier, healthier and closer to nature. Sounds like a win-win situation.
It's not too late to sign up!
Sign up for a pack here
Join us at Feed Bristol on the 1st of June to launch 30 Days Wild. We'll be there all day enjoying a host of wonderful activities for the whole family.
Find out more here
Share any pictures on social media using the hashtag #30DaysWild and do tag @avonwt.
