The Wildlife Trusts’ annual ’30 Days Wild’ challenge was more popular than ever this year – 400,000 people carried out well over 10 million Random Acts of Wildness over the 30 days of June.
Throughout June, The Wildlife Trusts’ challenged participants to do something wild and enjoy nature every single day. In response, people have been sharing their heartwarming stories and colourful photos and videos across social media channels. As well as the 50,000 individual households who signed up for their free packs of ideas, wall chart, stickers and wildflower seeds, over 9,000 schools, 1,300 businesses and 570 care homes also took part.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s Communications Manager, Abi Webber says:
“We have been overwhelmed with the local involvement in 30 Days Wild this year, with over 2,800 people in our two counties signing-up to the challenge. It is fantastic to see so many people dedicated to engaging with the wildlife and the nature on their doorstep.
“Thank you to everyone who has shared their journey with us — from photographing wildlife, litter picking, reading about wildflower meadows to visiting a nature reserve, it’s great to see all the creative, fun and sometimes simple ways we can interact with the wildlife around us.”
Dr Amir Khan from Ch 5’s GPs Behind Closed Doors is an ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts and took part in the challenge for the first time this year. He says:
“It’s been fantastic! I’ve loved the small, sometimes unexpected random acts that have inspired and will continue to inspire me every day – I’ve fed and watched the birds in the garden, I’ve noticed more nature while out running and taken breaks at lunchtime just to appreciate the world outside. I’ve truly felt the benefit to my physical and mental wellbeing and I think our wildlife has too.”
Wildlife gardening in homes, care homes and schools was a popular activity, with people creating small ponds, building homes for bugs, sowing wildflowers, noticing the birds and insects that visited and pledging not to mow their lawns, to encourage more variety of wildlife to flourish.
Every year The Wildlife Trusts carry out a wildness quiz during 30 Days Wild. Previous years’ results show that 30 Days Wild is unique in improving people’s perception of beauty in nature and that noticing natural beauty makes people happier and want to care for it.
