Sign up for nature to join The Wildlife Trusts’ annual challenge: 30 Days Wild.

This June for the whole month, every day, everybody, everywhere, will be encouraged to enjoy nature on their doorstep, as well as the ‘great outdoors’. Inspiring ‘Random Acts of Wildness’, practical, fun and quirky ideas will connect people with the wild around them. Meander along a river bank, dance in a downpour, record a wild ringtone, meditate in a meadow, or simply sip a glass of wine as the sun goes down and appreciate your garden. People can spend a few minutes, or a few hours each day enjoying nature - how they do it is up to them.

And it’s official - a daily dose of nature, even in bite size chunks, is good for you.

The impact of taking part in 30 Days Wild has been tracked by academics at the University of Derby. Their study* found that people who did something ‘wild’ each day for a month, felt happier, healthier and more connected to nature. From walking barefoot in the park to feeding garden birds, all sorts of activities proved positive for people – with added benefits for the natural world too.

Dr Miles Richardson, Director of Psychology, who 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’.”

This year 30 Days Wild is revelling in the glory of traditional meadows which bloom with wildflowers throughout June. 'Unimproved' pastures and meadows with their characteristic wealth of wild plants and animals are rare and fragmented – occupying just 5% of the area that they occupied in 1945. The Wildlife Trusts care for many – and they can be visited and enjoyed.

Apply for a free 30 Days Wild pack, download the phone app or look online for those inspirational Random Acts of Wildness. 30 Days Wild packs include a packet of UK native wildflower seeds, activity sheets, a calendar to record adventures, stickers, and a poster. Schools will get a large deck of ‘Random Acts of Wildness’ cards for inspiring ideas.

Sign up opens from Wednesday April 12th come and share the fun of #30DaysWild on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Wildlife Trusts across the UK will be running wild events for all the family throughout June.

Lucy McRobert, Communications Manager for The Wildlife Trusts says:
“Last year thousands of people carried out 1.8 million Random Acts of Wildness during 30 Days Wild. That’s 1.8 million precious moments that brought people closer to nature and enhanced their lives. The Wildlife Trusts aim to double that number this year – and we hope that the connections people make with the wild around them will ensure that it is better protected for the future too.”

Contact: Liz Carney 01636 670075 / 07887 754659 lcarney@wildlifetrusts.org

Images are available for use with this news release. They are granted on a one-time use basis, in association with this release and the photographer must be credited.

Editor’s Notes:
*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.

30 Days Wild Packs: Free but subject to availability. Phone App. Digital delivery of ideas and Random Acts of Wildness.

www.wildlifetrusts.org/30DaysWild/App

Blogger Awards: The campaign includes a competition with prizes to discover outstanding bloggers who chart their 30 Days Wild adventures.

Twitter @30DaysWild #30DaysWild

The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) wildlifetrusts.org

There are 47 individual Wildlife Trusts covering the whole of the UK. All are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. We have more than 800,000 members including 150,000 members of our junior branch Wildlife Watch. Our vision is to create A Living Landscape and secure Living Seas. We manage around 2,300 nature reserves and every year we advise thousands of landowners and organisations on how to manage their land for wildlife. We also run marine conservation projects around the UK, collecting vital data on the state of our seas and celebrating our amazing marine wildlife. Every year we work with thousands of schools and our nature reserves and visitor centres receive millions of visitors. Each Wildlife Trust is working within its local communities to inspire people about the future of their area: their own Living Landscapes and Living Seas.