30 Days Wild 2021
30 Days Wild 2021
Happy 1st June! Today marks the beginning of the annual 30 Days Wild challenge. Created by the Wildlife Trusts, participants undertake one wild activity a day throughout the month. Ideas range from bird watching, to writing poetry about nature.
After the 2020 event, 1000 people were asked about their favourite ways of interacting with nature. The results (below) are striking in their simplicity.
- Listening to birdsong – 88%
- Exercising outdoors – 81%
- Eating or drinking outdoors – 79%
- Identifying wildflowers – 77%
- Planting wildflower seeds – 71%
- Going on a bug hunt – 59%
- Hugging or admiring a tree – 58%
- Making a wildlife home – 49%
- Going barefoot on the grass or earth – 49%
- Sketching, drawing or painting nature – 47%
The term ‘wild’ can create images of hiking through untamed territory, relying on bushcraft skills to survive. It needn’t be this extreme though. A walk in the park, or rising to listen to the dawn chorus, is an uplifting addition to any day. The key is to engage mindfully with nature. Noticing surroundings, and absorbing the environment.
No Mow May (and beyond)
Through initiatives such as 30 Days Wild, we are reminded of the transformative power of nature. Even when neglected and abused by humans, nature strives to survive. There is much we can do to support this. One of my recent posts mentioned No Mow May. We left our grass to grow last month, and will continue to do so. Watching the daisies open and close with the rise and fall of the Sun, and the insects journeying from one flower to the next, reminds us how important these green spaces are. Experts, including Monty Don, have voiced their own opinions on reducing lawn mowing to encourage nature into gardens.
Sometimes, we all need a change of perspective. To look at things from every possible angle. Weeds are wild flowers for pollinators, lawns mini meadows, slugs help to clear rotten vegetation (as well as providing a food source for birds), and the early robin’s song is a perfectly created aria. Enjoy 30 Days Wild 2021, and the random acts of wildness. Sign up here for Wildlife Trusts updates throughout the month.
