Sometimes we don’t have the time to get out and see our beautiful countryside, whether it be because of work or social commitments. Sometimes we just want to chill at home and catch up on the soaps, or maybe the weather isn’t looking as pleasing compared to yesterday…

We’ve all been there, so why not challenge yourself to the 30 Days Wild Challenge?

30 random acts of wildness over 30 days, that’s one different act each day… The random act of wildness doesn’t have to be extreme or time consuming. It could be sunbathing in a field; having a picnic or simply sitting outside with your morning cup of tea listening to the birds.

This fantastic campaign doesn’t ask for a penny; it doesn’t ask you to give up chocolate or make you run for miles, all it asks is that you spend each day of June doing something wild, this can be for as long as you want, one minute; one hour or even the whole day. Something you and your family can get involved in no matter what age.

So why not give it a go? Spending quality time with the family while getting back to nature, what’s the worst that could happen?

So, you’ve registered for the 30 Days Wild campaign and June is already here, but have you thought about what you could do for 30 days?

What 30 different acts of wildness could you do with or without your family and friends?

Where could you go locally? What can you do in the local area?

Lets start with the basics – a walk through the countryside.

Do you walk the same route every day to work? The same track when walking the dog? Maybe you don’t walk much at all, perhaps you take the bus or drive to work…

Consider parking further away from your destination, or get off the bus a few stops early so you can have a few moments of walking. Feel that sun on your skin and the breeze blow through your hair.

Try taking a different walking route with the dog, do you ever turn right instead of left?

Challenge yourself to walk through a field or along a dirt track instead of busy streets.

Pick a wildflower and tell yourself not to go home until you find the flower again. Increase how many flowers you need to find as you walk along.

How about wild swimming? A day out at the beach, taking a hike, or swimming in a lake.

For those of you not wanting to get wet or perhaps you struggle with swimming – there are various kayaking and canoeing clubs around County Durham. Why not challenge yourself more and give it a go?

Even taking the dog along the river and dipping your toes into the water will help inspire you to explore further!

Remember whenever you are visiting a new location to check the local County Council website to ensure the water is safe to swim in and that you aren’t accidently trespassing on someone’s land.

Who doesn’t love a BBQ on a gorgeous sunny day? Why not get a little bit more adventurous and go foraging for your own food? There are tonnes of workshops out there for all ages to get involved with which will help teach you what to look for.

Keep an eye out for children’s activities with local organisations (Durham Wildlife Trust, The National Trust, Scouts). They offer loads of fun & wild activities in the Spring and Summer months.

There are so many simple things you can do!

From sitting outside and smelling the flowers; to going on a bug hunt; or reading a book in the garden, to making a collage using natural materials. The endless amounts of random acts will ensure you never worry about what you’re going to do next, the problem is getting time to do them all!

If you’re already getting stuck in, why not have a go at some survey work? There are so many different Citizen Science projects you could get yourself involved in. Surveying butterflies; watching for otters or tracking a hedgehog…

What a way to spend the weekend!

Citizen science projects are run by organisations that encourage the community to help in their local areas by conducting scientific research. How amazing is that?

You could be contributing to a research project.

Don’t worry if you think you don’t have enough knowledge or skills to participate, the research is conducted by a range of people from amateurs to experts! The brilliance of this is that you don’t need any experience. But if you don’t feel comfortable doing it alone then you can always call up the local environmental charities and ask to help them on one of their surveys.

For those of you who just don’t have the time to be swanning off and running through wild flower meadows – why not try something closer to home?

Investigate the wild areas on your street, or make a wildlife corner in your back yard.

You could sit outside your house and draw some nature like a bird or a flower.

I could go on for hours talking about what we could do for the 30 Days Wild Challenge, but instead of listening to me waffle on – why not check out your local environmental charities and see what ideas they have.

I’m going to be writing about what I have done over the weeks and what random acts of wildness I’ve been up to. Maybe you’ll find something super awesome to do and want to share it!

To register for the 30 Days Wild campaign, you can find the details at

Not only will you get an amazing free campaign guide but you’ll also receive a wallchart where you can track your progress and plan what to do over the month. The Wildlife Trusts will be behind you every step of the way with inspiring ideas and motivation to keep you going wild.