How to bring more nature into your day and take part in 30 Days Wild
Whether you go for a wildlife walk, forage for your supper or simply sit by a river, do something wild each day this June to celebrate 30 Days Wild. To help you get started, here’s our pick of 30 easy ideas to help you connect with nature each day.
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Find out how to take part in the Wildlife Trusts 30 Days Wild campaign and find wild inspiration with our pick of 30 easy ways to connect with nature.
What is 30 Days wild?
The Wildlife Trusts’ annual nature challenge 30 Days Wild encourages people to do something wild every day for the month of June. According to the charity, a record estimated 650,000 people took part in 2020, making it the most successful year since its launch in 2015.
How to take part in 30 Days Wild
When you sign-up to 30 Days Wild you’ll receive wildlife guides, how-to guides, top technical tips from wildlife webcam experts, educational and fun resources, and more. There are also special packs available for schools, nurseries, care homes, and businesses.
The challenge begins this year on Tuesday 1st June with a Big Wild Breakfast, a nationwide event where people are encouraged to download a free breakfast placement which doubles up as a wildlife spotting guide, and record any nature they see in 30 minutes while enjoying their breakfast.
“Citizen science whilst having your breakfast — what a perfect way to start your day!” commented Liz Bonnin, science and nature broadcaster and President of The Wildlife Trusts.
“I’m excited to see how creative people will be with their choice of breakfast-time nature spots and the special wildlife encounters they’ll share with our 30 Days Wild social media community. Coffees and cameras at the ready!”
Share your wild moment on social media using the hashtag #30DaysWild.
Our round-up of 30 easy ways to connect with nature and have a wild experience.
Try birdwatching from your garden window
Grab your binoculars and see how many different species of birds you can spot. Bird watching can become an addictive and rewarding hobby, and no matter where you go — whether in a city, natural park, or at your home — you’re almost guaranteed to see one.
- Garden bird guide: how to care for birds and what to feed different species
- Robin guide: where to see and how to attract robins to your garden
- Guide to Britain’s tit species: how to identify and where to see
Listen to birdsong and try to identify each species
In Britain we are blessed with an incredible variety of beautiful bird song in spring. It’s mostly the male birds that sing and they do this to demonstrate how fit and healthy they are to potential mates and also tell rival males that they have secured a territory so “keep off”.
Learn how to identify coastal flowers
Get to know the pretty summer blooms found on our coasts, cliffs, dunes and shores with our expert guide to coastal flowers found in the UK.
Go for a walk in the countryside
Get back to nature with a beautiful countryside walk. Walking is a great way to clear your head and explore your local landscape. With blooming flowers and buzzing wildlife, it’s the perfect season to take a long walk in the countryside.
- Best summer walks in Britain
- Britain’s most beautiful river walks
- For more walking inspiration, check out our walking section
Try rockpooling
Rockpools can be great fun for kids and big kids alike, and summer is a great time of year to head to the coast and make the most of what the shoreline has to offer.
Take a look at our rockpooling guide to find all you need to know to have a successful rockpooling adventure.
Try flower spotting
Observe your surroundings and see how many different types of flowers you can spot. You can do this in your garden, local park or if you have any nearby, country gardens are a great place to learn about local history and spot vibrant flowers.
- Garden guide: How to grow your own cut flowers
- How to make a flower press
- British seasonal wildflowers guide: how to identify, when to see and where to find them
Watch wildlife
- Guide to British butterflies: how to identify and the best places to spot
- British beetle guide: where to see and how to identify
- Discoverwildlife.com is a hive of fascinating wildlife – both UK and overseas
Watch wildlife webcams
Watch livestreams of wildlife around the UK and Ireland, thanks to the work of conservationists. Enjoy views of nesting birds and the hatching of their chicks, plus feeding mammals such as badgers and squirrels.
Record your local wildlife
Recording the wildlife you spot in your garden or local area can help improve your wildlife knowledge, provide useful data for conservationists and be a very satisfying hobby.
Learning to record the wildlife you see and hear in the natural world can help conservationists build a bigger picture of how species are faring in your part of the country.
Why not become a wildlife recorder and help add to what we already know? You just need to remember to keep note of what you see in your garden, local park or just from your kitchen window.
Forage for your food
The British countryside is full of food you can safely and legally forage – provided you know what to look for. From pungent wild garlic in spring to elderflower and juicy blackberries, why not see what you can find. Searching for your next meal in the countryside will not only fill your belly, but will also increase your connection with the land. You could also try a foraging course.
N.B. Always be sure you can positively identify any plant before you pick it, and never eat anything you are unsure of. Make sure you leave plenty for wildlife (and other foragers!).
More related articles:
- Wild garlic guide: where to find, how to cook it and recipe ideas
- Blackberry guide: where to find, how to cook and recipe ideas
- How to make your own hedgerow booze
Make elderflower cordial
Lacy white elderflower heads dot the emerald hedgerows of Britain at this time of the year. Elderflowers are the last of the great tree flower displays of the year. The umbrellas of dense, tiny white flowers send out an alluring sweet smell that can be captured in drinks such as cordial and champagne.
Go for a bike ride
Pump up your tyres and peddle through the countryside. Cycling is a great way to reconnect with nature and get off the beaten track. Take a ride on a local cycle path, or if you’re a bit more ambitious and after coronavirus restrictions have been lifted you could even take a bikepacking trip across the country.
More related content:
- A guide to bikepacking: how to get started, essential gear and best routes for off-road cycling
- Cycling in Britain: the best places to ride, how to ride safely and where to ride this autumn
Go for a wild swim
One a warm summer’s day, it doesn’t get much better than taking a dip in the sea, lake or river. If you live in a big city, don’t be put off as there are many wild swimming spots near London.
- Wild swimming in Britain: the best places to swim, water safety and how to get started
- Britain’s top 10 wild swimming spots
Sleep under the stars
Pitch a tent and spend an evening beneath a starry night-sky, whether out in the wild, at a campsite, or even in your own back garden.
Wild camping allows you to escape the constant buzz of modern life and get back to basics. While not legal in some parts of the country, there are a number of smaller campsites in secluded locations, where you simply pitch up and savour the tranquility.
More related content:
- A beginner’s guide to wild camping
- 10 great places to wild camp in Britain
- Five of the best tiny campsites in Britain
Get crafty – create nature inspired arts and crafts
Find a daily fun craft project or outdoor nature activity for children to enjoy.
Help the wildlife in your garden
Summer is nearly here and with the warmer temperatures on the way, there’s more wildlife to see in gardens across the country. See how many different species you can spot and learn how you can make your garden more wildlife-friendly with our guides below.
- How to make your garden wildlife-friendly
- How to help wildlife during a summer heatwave
- Garden pond guide: how to look after your pond and wildlife to spot
- How to make a bee house
- British beetle guide: where to see and how to identify
- Discoverwildlife.com is a hive of fascinating wildlife – both UK and overseas
Gaze at the night sky
Improve your nature identification skills
Learn how to identify local plants, insects and wildlife in your local area. You could create a journal to track your findings.
- British beetle guide: where to see and how to identify
- British tree guide: how to identify and where to find
- British seasonal wildflowers guide: how to identify, when to see and where to find them
- Guide to British butterflies: how to identify and the best places to spot
Cook or eat a meal outdoors
- The best summer picnic recipes
- Best spring recipe ideas
- Pork and pickle pies
- Recipe: barbecued plaice with fennel seed, chilli, aubergine and tomatoes
Listen to podcasts
Make the most of your extra spare time to listen to some of the interesting wildlife, nature and science podcasts freely available You can listen to podcasts anywhere so why not make it a wilder experience by listening outdoors. This handy BBC Wildlife Magazine guide, explains how to listen to podcasts.
Don’t forget to tune into the BBCCountryfile Magazine ‘plodcast’
In each episode of the BBC Countryfile Magazine podcast, we go on a great escape into beautiful landscapes where we look for great wildlife, explore curious historic sites, meet interesting rural people and discuss the big issues affecting the countryside.
Catch up on each season and enjoy a countryside escape
The podcast is available on Acast, iTunes, Apple Podcasts and most major podcast apps
Try butterfly surveying
Capture the moment
- How to take beautiful photos of wildflowers
- How to take great outdoors photography
- How to take great photos of your pets
Sketch the landscape
Join the Countryfile Art Club
Calling all budding artists – join the Countryfile Art Club and celebrate the British countryside through art and the Countryfile archive. Plus learn how to improve your artistic skills with tips and tricks from professional artists.
Learn how to identify trees
Take a stroll through the forest and examine the trees to see how many different types you can find. You might be surprised to find the number of different kinds in your local woodland. You may even see one of Britain’s fascinating, famous trees.
Take a bark rubbing
Moss covered ground and tree trunks in a conifer forest with the sun shining through the trees at Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute in Scotland (Getty)
One of the most effective ways to understand the incredible diversity of nature is to do a bark rubbing. Pick a tree, hold a piece of paper against its bark and rub it with a soft pencil, pastel or piece of charcoal. Observe your rubbing, taking note of the various shapes and questioning their existence. You needn’t know the answers – simply thinking about the physiognomy of your subject matter will increase your connection with it.
Many trees have distinctive bark patterns, which you can use to identify them, even when they have no leaves. Get to know the various patterns by making bark rubbings – they’re great fun and can be done at any time of year.
Geocaching
Enjoy hiking, the countryside and treasure hunting? This might be the hobby for you. Download the free app and find one of many secret geocaches hidden in the countryside.
Learn how to identify animal droppings
Droppings or scats can tell us a lot about which animals have been visiting our gardens, parks and countryside, including hedgehogs, foxes and badgers. Discoverwildlife.com’s expert guide to animal droppings or scats explains how to identify which animal species it comes from and what information it contains about the health of the animal.
Experience a sunrise and sunset
Get up early and experience sunrise, then watch it set later that evening. Wherever you are, set your alarm clocks early in June to see the Summer Solstice. Stonehenge isn’t the only place to see it.
Catch up on the best nature programmes
Although watching TV might not seem a particularly wild activity, for those of us with less access to the outdoors, you can still learn more about nature and find a bit of much-needed escapism with our round-up of the best countryside TV, film and radio.
Authors
Carys is the Group Digital Editor of countryfile.com and discoverwildlife.com. Carys can often be found trail running, bike-packing, wild swimming or hiking in the British countryside.
