Yoga at Northumberlandia. Image by Frances Smiles.
Go big and wild this June
Northumberland Wildlife Trust is encouraging everybody to join in its big wild celebrations next weekend as part of The Wildlife Trusts’ national 30 Days Wild challenge.
Launched on 1st June, 30 Days Wild invites people of all ages to connect with nature every day during the month of June and each year, as part of the challenge, the wildlife charity hosts a Big Wild Weekend of activities, and this year is no different.
Over the course of Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th of June there will be activities on three Northumberland Wildlife Trust sites: Northumberlandia in Cramlington and Hauxley and West Chevington at Druridge Bay.
On Saturday 17th, it’s going to be a Big Wild Saturday at Northumberlandia and West Chevington.
With the emphasis very much on having fun, feeling good and getting closer to nature, between 10:00am and 3:30pm at Northumberlandia, members of the public will be able to immerse themselves in mindfulness in nature sessions, medicinal herb walks and talks and outdoor yoga and music in nature sessions for all ages.
Alternatively, they may just wander around the site, take a walk up to the top of the Lady of the North landform sculpture or call in to the Visitor Centre café for a tasty snack.
Further up the coast at Druridge Bay, between 10:00am and 12:30pm, Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Wilding West Chevington project officer Lee Rankin is all set to take members of the public on a guided walk around the West Chevington site where they will learn more about the Trust’s plans for the rewilding of the site and its resident wildlife along the way.
To celebrate making it half way through 30 Days Wild, the Trust is encouraging everybody to join in the national Wildlife Trust Big Wild Camp-Out.
From 5pm onwards, across the UK, people will be setting up tents in their gardens or creating indoor dens and sharing photos with their local wildlife trust via social media with the hashtag #30DaysWild.
The Big Wild Weekend celebrations carry over into the second day at the Trust’s Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre at Druridge Bay.
On Sunday 18th, between 10:30am and noon, Sophie Webster, Catch My Drift project officer will be turning families into nature detectives when she takes them around the reserve to look for signs of animal activity before inviting everybody to make plaster casts of what they find on the ground to take home with them.
The weekend ends at 7pm with the Big Wild Pub Quiz streamed live on the Wildlife Trusts’ YouTube channel. Hosted by Maddie Moat, presenter, author and YouTuber it’s a great way to round off a great two days and try and be top of the pollinators.
Frances Smiles, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Events Officer says:
“Right across the country, over half a million people are doing something wild every day this June for 30 Days Wild. Whether you’ve take up the challenge or not, the Big Weekend is a great way to get involved so come and join us.
“At the minute the long term weather forecast is looking brilliant, but whatever the weather, all the staff will be in high spirits on our three sites as they welcome members of the public to events with a difference.
“They don’t cost the earth as we want as many people as possible to come along and have a good time whilst getting their batteries charged the natural way. So come and find out for yourself and be part of the national 30 Days Wild campaign.”
Places on some of the activities need to be booked so visit www.nwt.org.uk/events for more details.