JUNE HIGHLIGHTS Charity urges us all to take part in ‘random acts of wildness’

A wildlife charity is urging us to take part in what it describes as a series of ‘random acts of wildness’ which it hopes will involve thousands of people throughout the month of June.

Devon Wildlife Trust is suggesting that people use the month to reconnect with wildlife and the natural world through a campaign known as 30 Days Wild. Now in its fourth year, 30 Days Wild is a nationwide initiative in which more than 250,000 people across the UK took part last year.

Participants in 30 Days Wild sign up for free and in return commit to undertaking a simple random act of wildness each day for a month. This year these acts include searching for mini-beasts in your own back garden or park, running/walking barefoot across grass or the beach, and learning to recognise a new birdsong.

For those wanting to take it easy there’s also the more restful suggestion of taking a ‘nap in nature’ where participants are being urged to ‘chill out & take a nap in the long grass; while the birds and the bees serenade you to sleep.’

Devon Wildlife Trust’s Steve Hussey, said:

“The idea behind 30 Days Wild is to get us all to take a bit of time out of our busy lives to engage with nature. A growing amount of research, along with our own common sense, tells us that being out of doors and in the natural world is good for our physical and mental health.

30 Days Wild is there to help us make time to go wild. Many of its random acts of wildness are aimed at families. We know parents often struggle to get children away from their screens and into the fresh air. But the campaign is also a chance for everyone to go a little bit wilder this June.”

30 Days Wild is free to take part in. Participants receive a pack with wallchart, stickers and lots of suggestions for ‘going wild’. People can sign up on-line at www.devonwildlifetrust.org/30DaysWild and is open to individuals, couples, families, schools and even businesses.

Steve Hussey, said:

“In the past we’ve had great take up from people undertaking 30 Days Wild with their schools, in their offices and as families. People seem to like the fact that it’s easy to do, is free and that it gets them out of doors to enjoy the wonderful Devon’s natural riches.”

Devon Wildlife Trust is staging its own 30 Days Wild event in the middle of the month. The 30 Days Wild Big Family Fun day is being held on Saturday 16 June between 11am and 3pm at Exeter’s Mincinglake Valley Park. Visitors to the event are promised a range of wild activities, including bug hunting, storytelling, wild craft and much more.

Charity encourages families to go wild during June

A wildlife charity is urging local people to go wild during the month of June.

The Wildlife Trusts are asking people to make the most of the natural world around them by taking part in ‘random acts of wildness’ each day during the month.

The campaign, called 30 Days Wild, is now in its third year and already has more than 35,000 people signed up and committed to taking part across the UK. More than 1,500 from Devon are among the nature-lovers ready to go wild.

Devon Wildlife Trust has announced that it is launching this year’s 30 Days Wild with a special half-term holiday event taking place in Exeter’s Mincinglake Valley Park, between 10am and 3pm on Thursday 1 June.

The 30 Days Wild event organiser is Anya Oliver. She said:

“We’re kicking off this year’s 30 Days Wild with a free event in one of Exeter’s best known Valley Parks: Mincinglake. The event is open to all and we’ll be offering pond dipping, wild crafts, games, nature discovery trails, plus ideas to bring wildlife into people’s gardens. We’ll also be challenging those that come along to do 10 wild things with us in just one day!

To each of the first 100 people to arrive at the event and who sign up to 30 Days Wild we’ll be giving them a free pack containing a wallchart on which they can record their wild month, stickers and much more.”

Exeter’s Mincinglake event is taking place at the Stoke Hill entrance to the Valley Park, close to its car park and Sylvania Hall. The event is being supported by Exeter City Council, South West Water and players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.

30 Days Wild will then continue for the whole of June. Each day participants are being asked to take part in a random act of wildness at home, in their schools and at their workplaces. The fun and quirky ideas are designed to get us all to connect with nature. This year’s random acts include star gazing, building a home for bugs in the garden, taking a lunch break out of doors, enjoying mindfulness in a park or wildflower meadow, listening to birdsong and attempting to learn to spot a new butterfly.

People can sign up to take part in 30 Days Wild by clicking on a special link at www.devonwildlifetrust.org

Devon Wildlife Trust’s Steve Hussey said:

“We want people throughout Devon to use 30 Days Wild as an inspiration for getting to know their local wildlife better. They can spend a few minutes, or a few hours each day enjoying nature - how they do it is up to them. The important thing is to use our ideas for random acts of wildness as a starting point.

In my own case, I plan to stop on my regular commute by bike to work to check on the progress of one pair of swans and their cygnets on the River Exe. Rather than keeping my head down and getting to work as soon as I can, each day during June I’ll be taking a few minutes out to pause, look for this swan family and take in the wonderful wildlife that we have here in Devon.”

The Wildlife Trusts believe that there is a real benefit to our health and welfare from pausing to put a little bit of wildness back into our lives. A study of people taking part in last year’s 30 Days Wild campaign undertaken by researchers from University of Derby showed that a daily dose of nature, even in bite size chunks, is good for you. Their study* found that people who did something ‘wild’ each day for a month, felt happier, healthier and more connected to nature. Dr Miles Richardson, Director of Psychology led the study, said:

“The impact of 30 Days Wild adds to the compelling argument for bringing nature into our everyday lives. Two months after taking part in 30 Days Wild, there was a 30 per cent increase in the number of people who reported their health as excellent. Last year’s results also show people’s happiness continued to improve after 30 Days Wild ended, which illustrates its sustained impact. This is important as it is happiness and connecting with nature that influence improvements in health. Our study also shows that those who benefitted most were younger adults and those who weren’t ‘nature lovers’.” 

 

Fun for all the family #30DaysWild

About 30 Days Wild: Development and Evaluation of a Large-Scale Nature Engagement Campaign to Improve Well-Being. February 18 th 2016 PLoS One. Kelly Tyler, Public Relations Officer, University of Derby on 01332 591891 / 07876 476103 or k.tyler@derby.ac.uk

30 Days Wild 2017 is the third year The Wildlife Trusts will run this national campaign to encourage people to love nature and deepen their relationship with wildlife. Who takes part? In 2016 nearly 30,000 people and organisations signed up to take part including over 2,000 schools. Between them, they carried out over 1.8 million Random Acts of Wildness, exploring, learning about, and acting for wildlife near them. You don’t have to be a member of a Wildlife Trust to take part

#30DaysWild. Nature connection at the heart of a happy and healthy life

Results of UK's first month-long nature challenge published as 2016 campaign launches in Devon

People who do something 'wild' every day for a month change their attitude to nature and report improvements in their physical and mental wellbeing, according to new research which places nature connection at the heart of a happy and healthy life.

An impact study, by the University of Derby, of 30 Days Wild - the UK's first ever month-long nature challenge, run by The Wildlife Trusts in June 2015 - reveals sustained increases in participants' happiness, health, connection to nature and positive environmental behaviours, such as feeding the birds or growing flowers for pollinators like bees.

Dr Miles Richardson, Head of Psychology at the University of Derby, conducted the study.

 He says:

"Two months after taking part in 30 Days Wild, the number of people reporting their health as excellent increased by over 30%. And that improvement in health was influenced by the improvements in happiness and connection with nature."

The impact of 30 Days Wild adds to the compelling argument for bringing nature into our everyday lives. Our grand challenges, such as health and declining biodiversity, require large-scale interventions and the evaluation of 30 Days Wild provides good evidence that time in, and a connection with nature can bring sustained benefits to public health, reducing demands on our health services, while also improving pro-nature behaviours. Even in urban areas, nature can provide a simple solution to complex problems."

More than 18,500 people took part in The Wildlife Trusts' 30 Days Wild challenge, committing around 300,000 Random Acts of Wildness - different ways to connect with, experience and take action for nature - throughout June 2015.

Steve Hussey, from Devon Wildlife Trust, said:

"Last year, thousands of people undertook Random Acts of Wildness across our region, from the centre of Plymouth to the Isles of Scilly. People let their lawns grow wild, adults danced in the rain and went on wild picnics, while families created natural artworks, went star-gazing and created homes for wildlife in their gardens. Even people at work found time for wildlife, by taking meetings outside in the sun and transforming work spaces into wildlife habitats.

"The results of our study show that taking part in 30 Days Wild makes people happier, healthier and more connected to nature in the long-term.

"Importantly it also showed that by looking out for nature on a regular basis people became more likely to care about and protect it - and that's what we're all about. We're here to inspire everyone again - every day throughout June. Whatever their age, wherever they live, we want everyone to feel they can take part and join thousands of others making nature part of their life."

30 Days Wild returns in 2016, Devon Wildlife Trust is asking everyone to do something wild every day from 1 - 30 June. Whether you take time out to simply smell a wildflower, listen to birdsong, explore a local wild place or leave a part of your garden to grow wild for a month. This year, the conservation charity aims to inspire people to carry out one million Random Acts of Wildness, listing 101 fun and intriguing ideas online to get you started. It's all about making nature part of your life for 30 days - and it's free.

Steve Hussey added: 

"Hundreds of people have already signed up to this year's 30 Days Wild but the message is there's still time to do so at www.wildlifetrusts.org/30DaysWild. We're delighted that BBC Radio Devon is once again backing the campaign and broadcasting a suggested Random Act of Wildness every day of the month on its David Fitzgerald Show and other programmes. This year we're also calling on people to share their experiences of 30 Days Wild with us on twitter, Instagram and facebook using #30DaysWild and twitter handle @DevonWildlife."

Devon Wildlife Trust is kicking off its 30 Days Wild with a special event at its Cricklepit Mill base in the heart of Exeter during half term week on Wednesday 1 June. DWT's Steve Hussey said: 

 "Our Fun Day is the perfect way to start your 30 Days Wild. The event is free and people can drop in any time between 10am and 3pm. We will be challenging visitors to complete 10 Random Acts of Wildness in one day! From bug hunting in our meadow and creating wild art to making a bird feeder and scribbling a poem - it promises to be a wild beginning to June." Cricklepit Mill is a short walk from Exeter's historic Quayside and can be found next to the Bishop Blaize pub, EX2 4AB. For more details on this event visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org/whats-on 

#30DaysWild - Lewis Hussey, age 12, Exeter. Photo taken at Exmouth Beach copyright Kathryn Edwards (All rights reserved)

 

#30DaysWild - Imogen Hussey, aged 16, balances on tree trunk Photo taken at Haldon Hill copyright Kathryn Edwards (All rights reserved)

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Tap link to sign up for the 30 DaysWild Challenge

Share your 30 Days Wild experience  on twitter, Instagram and facebook using 

#30DaysWild and twitter handle @DevonWildlife

30 Days Wild: Can you make room for nature this June? An exciting new challenge for everyone!

This June, Devon Wildlife Trust is asking everyone to do something wild every day for a month. The challenge is simple and designed to delight. The charity wants us all to make room in our busy lives for nature - no matter where you are or how hectic your schedule.
The message from The Trust's spokesperson Steve Hussey couldn't be clearer: 'We want to make June the month when you do something wild every day - and let us motivate you!' Devon Wildlife Trust's invitation is part of a national campaign being run by the The Wildlife Trusts. Everyone who signs up to 30 Days Wild - the UK's first ever month-long nature challenge - will receive a download pack full of encouragement, ideas and 'Random Acts of Wildness'. They will also receive a funky wallchart to track progress, a wild badge, and regular blasts of inspiration throughout June straight to their inbox to help everyone make nature part of their lives.
The 30 Days Wild sign-up page is www.wildlifetrusts.org/30dayswild. 
A short film featuring Devon Wildlife Trust's Jasmine Atkinson is being used to promote 30 Days Wild across the UK. Jasmine appears in the video (available to see at www.devonwildlifetrust.org) paddling in a Dartmoor stream and taking a twilight walk. Jasmine says: 'Detect, discover, dig; invite, inhale, immerse; shout, scatter and sweep... we've put together 101 fun and intriguing ideas to get you started. It's not hard and doesn't even matter if you miss a day or two - we won't tell anyone!  30 Days Wild is all about making time for nature in your life - and it's free.' 
BBC Countryfile presenter Ellie Harrison* is a supporter of The Wildlife Trusts' month-long challenge. She can't wait to get started - she says: 'This month we want you to do something wild! You could climb to the highest hill, take a wild photo or even follow a bumble bee to see where it takes you. Join us for 30 Days Wild and find your wild life!' 
The emphasis of 30 Days Wild is all about enjoying nature, but the campaign is underpinned by a serious message. Devon Wildlife Trust's Steve Hussey says: 'We know that a generation of children is growing up disconnected from nature - only 1 in 10 children ever play in wild places. But this is a problem that affects adults too. It can be difficult to create the right moment or to find time for nature in busy lives. We're here to inspire people - whatever your age, wherever you live, we want everyone to feel they can take part.' 
The Wildlife Trusts are asking people to invent their own 'Random Acts of Wildness' or use our list for our inspiration - these acts are everyday ways to connect with nature or help wildlife. This could be as simple as: 

•  Inhale: take a few seconds out to smell a wildflower 
•  Record: put wild sounds onto your phone and make them your ringtone - you'll be transported back to the wild every time you get a call 
•  Encounter: share a close encounter with a favourite species 
•  Create: make a wild work of art outdoors and leave it for others to enjoy 

To get started people are being urged to visit the Devon Wildlife Trust 30 Days Wild webpage at www.devonwildlifetrust.org Devon Wildlife Trust is hoping to make June a really wild month and is asking people to join in, connect with nature and share their experiences, photos and ideas using #30DaysWild on Twitter
 *Ellie Harrison presents BBC Countryfile and is the president of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.