Record number of people take part in 30 Days Wild

The Wildlife Trusts' annual 30 Days Wild challenge broke records this year as 400,000 people took part, carrying out more than 10 million Random Acts of Wildness during June.

Throughout the month, The Wildlife Trusts' challenge participants to do something wild and enjoy nature every day, with efforts uploaded to social media.  As well as the 50,000 individual households who signed up for free packs of ideas, wall chart, stickers and wildflower seeds, more than 9,000 schools, 1,300 businesses and 570 care homes also took part.  

Wildlife gardening in homes was popular with many participants this year (Nick Upton).

The Wildlife Trusts' Head of Communications, Joanna Richards said: "It's been an extraordinarily wild month! We’ve loved seeing the creative and inventive activities of people taking part right across the UK – getting up close to bugs, butterflies and birds, rewilding a garden or making a daisy chain. You don’t need to go far to appreciate wildlife and often the simplest interactions can bring us the most joy."

Wildlife gardening in homes, care homes and schools was a popular activity, with people creating small ponds, building homes for insects, sowing wildflowers, noticing the species that visited and pledging not to mow their lawns, to encourage more variety of wildlife to flourish. Dr Amir Khan, an ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts who took part in the challenge for the first time this year, said: "It's been fantastic! I've loved the small, sometimes unexpected random acts that have inspired and will continue to inspire me every day.

"I've fed and watched the birds in the garden, I've noticed more nature while out running and taken breaks at lunchtime just to appreciate the world outside. I've truly felt the benefit to my physical and mental well-being and I think our wildlife has too."

Kieron Turney, a teacher who leads the Nature Club at Handsworth Grange Community Sports College in Sheffield, added: "This is the third year the school has taken part in 30 Days Wild and it's such a great challenge. This year we have focused on how these activities have improved the pupils' wellbeing and mental health.

"The kids have enjoyed different and innovative outdoor activities and had time away from their mobile phones too. Spending time outdoors, learning about nature and wildlife is so important for the next generation and it’s helped them feel refreshed, more focused and ready to return to more formal classes."