30 Days Wild – 30 ideas to get closer to nature

One of the biggest benefits of the 30 Days Wild challenge is encouraging us to do our bit for wildlife and for the planet. Our final 10 days of 30 Days Wild ideas are dedicated to planet and animal-friendly activities.

June 21st – Do a litter pick

A litter pick can either be simply taking a rubbish bag out on a walk with you, or an organised community activity with many people involved. Organised litter picks and beach cleans are a great way of both helping the planet and getting to know like-minded people in your local area. Solo litter picks are immensely satisfying as you know that everything you take away with you at the end of the day is all your own hard work.

Do whatever suits your lifestyle best, but always remember to wear rubber gloves. You never know what you might need to pick up.

June 22nd – Hang a bird feeder

You can buy a bird feeder for less that £5 online. All you need to do is fill it, hang it and watch who decides to visit your garden for a snack! 

Giving your garden birds access to food year-round can help them store energy for the more difficult colder months, and when they have young to take care of. More and more species visit bird feeders every year. So keep an eye out for any birds you’ve not seen before!

June 23rd – 30 Days Wild is inclusive, so make friends with slugs

Yes, that’s right. Slugs can be your friends too. As irritating as it is to find your veggie patch destroyed by slugs overnight, they’re actually a really important part of the ecosystem. 

Slugs provide food for many other creatures, including hedgehogs, toads and thrushes. So removing them can be really harmful.

Rather than killing them (in ways we won’t cover here), try heading outside after dark, plucking them off your lettuces and putting them on your compost heap or over the hedge. We don’t recommend the latter if your neighbours also have veggie patches as you may end up with more slug friends than human friends.

June 24th – Plant wildflowers

Wildflowers are beautiful but that isn’t their only benefit. They are an essential food source and habitat for wildlife, particularly bees and butterflies. They also contribute to a healthy diversity of species in the area in which they grow.

You can buy packets of mixed wildflower seeds online or in most garden centres and even supermarkets. They’re definitely one of the most low maintenance things you can grow. This is because they can be grown on a tiny scale in even the smallest garden, or sown more widely to create a beautiful wildflower meadow. British native wildflowers aren’t picky about the soil they’re sown in so you can put them wherever you have space and it’s likely they’ll thrive.

June 25th – Record a species

Even if you live in the middle of a city, there will be species’ that are in need of recording.

Recording a species is a way of keeping tabs on the population of wildlife on a local or national level. There are lots of resources available and if you’re interested in recording wildlife, the National Biodiversity Network has created a great guide.

June 25th – Build an insect hotel

An insect hotel is another great way to attract wildlife to your garden. Simply put, it’s a man-made structure that provides lots of dark spaces and little nooks for all kinds of insects to call home.

According to this guide from the RHS, insect hotels can be made from upcycled or reclaimed materials. So you’re helping the planet in multiple ways!

For an even more budget-friendly option, a pile of leaves in a shady corner can become a great hiding place for insects.

June 27th – Start composting

If you read our post on food waste reduction, you may remember that food and garden waste in landfill is actually worse for the planet than plastic.

In contrast, composting is one of the most beneficial things you can do in your home for the environment.

Composting helps save money, saves processing and collection resources for local councils, and can help improve your soil.

To start composting and learn how to get the right mix of materials for the most nutrient-rich compost, have a look at this BBC guide.

June 28th – Collect rainwater

Collecting rainwater is an excellent way to reduce your water consumption and help the planet.

Collecting water reduces demand on the public water supply and it can help keep your garden healthy during times of drought or water shortage. It is also very satisfying knowing that even if you’re stuck indoors on a rainy day, at least your water butt is filling up!

As well as for watering your garden, you can use collected rainwater to fill up a birdbath to go alongside your new bird feeder.

Have a look at our recent post on how to save 1,600 litres of water in a week to find out more.

June 29th – Make seed bombs

A seedbomb is a little ball of seeds from various plants, contained within a “carrier” of compost or clay. They are really useful for introducing plants and flowers to hard-to-reach areas and small spaces.

They can be used anywhere, from window boxes to grass verges and even the roof of your shed!

The Wildlife Trusts have a fantastic guide to making and distributing seedbombs to get you off to a colourful start.

June 30th – Plant a tree to commemorate your 30 Days Wild adventures

Tree planting is something that has become a symbol for doing good for the planet. Many companies now donate to tree planting schemes and there are groups of people actively planting millions of trees a year in a bid to help clean our polluted air and to help to repair the planet.

Planting a tree is also a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday, the birth of a child or an anniversary. With each year that passes you tree will change and grow and remind you of whatever reason you planted it for. 

Even if you only have a windowsill or small balcony, you can still grow trees (just not big ones!) in containers. 

If you’re planting a tree that will grow to be very big in years to come, make sure you check the regulations on how close to buildings your tree can be.

Some of the best trees to plant are fruit trees. Apple trees provide plenty of fruit each year and cherry trees are famous for their beautiful blossom. Or why not try something completely different and grow an avocado tree from the stone inside your shop-bought avocado. Just remember that avocado trees must be kept inside in the winter.