Going Wild Where You Live - 30 Days Wild: Week 1

Going Wild Where You Live - 30 Days Wild: Week 1

It’s officially June, which means one thing, 30 Days Wild is back! For the next 30 days, we are challenging you to do one small wild thing every day to connect with the beautiful nature right on your doorstep. For the first week, our theme is all about looking closer to home...

It’s officially June, which means one thing, 30 Days Wild is back!

For the next 30 days, we are challenging you to do one small wild thing every day to connect with the beautiful nature right on your doorstep. For the first week, our theme is all about looking closer to home. You don't need to travel far or to a reserve to make an impact for nature. From your back garden, local park, or the paths along our rivers, there are so many big and small green spaces waiting for your help.

To get you started, we’ve come up with 7 simple ways you can make small acts of wildness for week one of your wild challenge, giving nature a helping hand right where you live and making your week a little wilder in the process…

Monday 1st June – Plant Wildflower Seeds

Kickstart your month by turning a bare patch of soil, a garden border, or even a window box into a nectar buffet for our beloved pollinators like bees and butterflies.

Garden bumblebee

Garden bumblebee by Chris Gomersall/2020VISION

Tuesday 2nd June – Build a Bird Box or Bug Hotel

Give local wildlife a place to shelter. You can stack old logs, pinecones, and hollow bamboo sticks for insects, or put up a sturdy wooden nest box for garden birds. With our changeable weather, these boxes can provide necessary shelter and for the bugs, the darker and damp conditions they need to thrive.

Wednesday 3rd June – Join a Local Volunteer Group

Did you know this week is Volunteer's Week? Last year our volunteers gave a staggering 16,000+ hours to the Trust to help protect Wiltshire’s wildlife and encourage people to connect with nature.

Volunteers at Coombe Bissett

Volunteers preparing the ground at Coombe Bissett Down - Melanie Evans 

Teamwork makes the dream work! Why not connect with a local group or sign up with us to protect, restore, and care for green spaces in your community. If you are under 25, we have a range of programmes for you to get stuck into: our Young Ambassadors (18-25), Rangers (12-18), and Wildlife Watch (5-11)  groups – contact us for more information.

Discover more about volunteering with us

Thursday 4th June – Litter Pick Your Green Spaces or Waterways

Grab a pair of gloves, a litter picker and a bag. Cleaning up plastics and stray rubbish from parks or riverbanks keeps our local habitats safe and beautiful for wildlife. Some local community groups offer litter picking sessions for you to get involved with. Please be careful about what you are picking up to avoid any nasties!

School group with litter pickers and rubbish bags

Friday 5th June – Attend an Event – Guided Walk & Bioblitz

Head out into the field! Join our incredible Reserve Warden for a guided walk through the stunning woodlands and breathtaking chalk downland meadows at The Devenish Nature Reserve on Saturday. A fantastic way to learn about one of our most picturesque and important reserves.

Or, if you're in the north of the county, head to Lower Moor Farm for our Bioblitz - a chance to learn about the fascinating and vital work of our County Recorders. Get up close as they survey as much of the reserve as possible for wildlife, and play your part through a range of hands-on activities.

Saturday 6th June – Explore Great Chalfield at Open Farm Sunday

Sunday 7th June is Open Farm Sunday – a national initiative where farms open to the public to help raise awareness of the importance of farming in our daily lives. Discover how farming and nature go together and see the regenerative practices we are delivering on the farmland through our partnership with the National Trust at Great Chalfield.

Highworth Field at Great Chalfield

Sunday 7th June – Donate to One of Our Projects

Wrap up your first week by investing in the future of Wiltshire's wildlife. Every donation to the Trust, however big or small, directly funds our work and the teams delivering vital habitat restoration and species monitoring across our reserves and beyond. Click here to see our current appeals.

Under 18? Donate a Wild Deed! You don't need money to give back to nature. Dedicate an hour today to being a wildlife champion. You could make a mini bird bath out of a shallow dish, paint a sign to remind people not to litter, or encourage your friends to think about what they could do for nature today.

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Remember this is just a guide – you can do as much or as little as you like each week, and don’t be afraid to come up with your own actions for nature. Whatever you do for nature this week, please do share your random acts of wildness with us by tagging us in social media and we will share as many as we can! 

And you can still sign up for 30 Days Wild if you want some inspiration delivered straight to your inbox throughout June!

Take part in 30 Days Wild