If beauty is in the eye of the beholder then wildness is in the heart of the beholder. Wildness is not something that we see it’s something we experience – something we feel in our hearts.

David North
Last year in June I walked barefoot on my lawn, got up early to listen to birdsong, visited a nature reserve, went for a wild swim, lay on my back and watched clouds slowly pass overhead, sat on shingle shore listening to waves at sunset, and walked through a wood under a canopy of green leaves listening to the wind in the tree tops. These were just a few of the things I experienced as part of the Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild adventure and though it was nearly a year ago the experiences are still fresh in my mind and just thinking about them today makes me feel good.

This June Norfolk Wildlife Trust is inviting you to experience your own 30 Days Wild adventure – it will cost you nothing to take part and yet the rewards are life-enhancing. All you have to do is to register online www.wildlifetrusts.org/30DaysWild and then every day for the 30 days of June take one small action to experience the natural world. You can do this as an individual, with a friend, or as a family, and whether its five minutes observing a starry June night sky, a few minutes listening attentively to bird song in your garden, or even simply lying on the grass on a sunny day watching bumblebees and butterflies going about their business, the only ask is that each day you remember to take a little time to experience the wild world around you.

Swallowtail butterfly by Elizabeth Dack

The Wildlife Trusts have a saying, ‘All our lives are better when they are a little bit wild’ and to help you have developed hundreds of ideas for ‘Random Acts of Wildness’ which are easy and free to do and can help you engage with nature wherever you live. You can also use 30 Days Wild as the perfect excuse to visit some new wild places, or have a go at seeing a wild species you have never seen before and always wanted to. Norfolk Wildlife Trust is here to help you with details of top sites for wildlife across Norfolk, the wildlife you can see and how to get there.

There is much talk today of the benefits of ‘mindfulness’ as a way of coping with the seemingly ever-increasing stresses and strains of modern life but ‘wildfulness’, simply spending time in nature, can be equally life enhancing. I for one, am looking forward to my 30 Days Wild this June, and am already plotting some new Random Acts of Wildness to experience with my friends and family.


Photo by Ben Hall 2020VISION

What is a Random Act of Wildness?

A Random Act of Wildness is about making time to connect with nature around you, or doing something small yourself to help nature. Random Acts of Wildness are all about experiencing, learning about and helping your local wildlife. They can be simple, small, fun and exciting too.

One click away from lots of inspiring ideas and your free #30DaysWild pack


David North, Head of People and Wildlife at Norfolk Wildlife Trust

NWT
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