Category: Living Life Wild

Living Life Wild

Highlights of 30 Days Wild

So, it’s now July and therefore 30 Days Wild is officially over. It has been loads of fun! There have been so many wonderful adventures and activities that I could not possibly name them all, but here are some of the highlights:

My Top 3 Random Acts of Wildness:

Visit to Gobions Wood, Hertfordshire

Rock hunting

Seeing a hedgehog for the first time ever

Other Peoples’ Highlights:

Wildlife cocktails, mud masks, building wildlife hotels, nature picnics – can’t pick one! ~ Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

Litter picking jumps out. Spending time with someone I love in nature + art inspiration = idyllic. In fact, community would be joint first favourite thing. Really hoping lots of people #staywild. Going to miss everyone! ~ Grow Eat Gift 

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Loved doing 30 Days Wild for the first time this year. It has helped my daughter greatly; she has Autism and we have been out and about together with her camera. She is very happy to have been chosen as the first person to take part in a new project by wildlife.net She is thrilled to have a slide show on YouTube featuring her wildlife photos and they have given her her own page on their site. I am very proud of her and thanks to 30 Days Wild for helping her and giving her lots more confidence. She has even sold one of her owl paintings- awesome. ~ mum of Emilived 


The kiddies really enjoyed making ice bird feeders. ~ The World is Their Classroom

This is my favourite, my son catching newts. ~ Happy Handley 

Being chased by a crazy chicken on Day 25 was the funniest moment but having a reason to get the family outside and spend time together has been the best part. ~ croftie goes wild

What were your highlights? Tell me in comments! 

Don’t forget that just because 30 Days Wild is over now, it doesn’t mean your ‘wild’ adventures have to end! Carry on your wildness and share using hashtag #StayWild 

For my first #StayWild act, I have signed up for family membership of our local Wildlife Trust. Have you joined yet? Find your local trust.

The Wildlife Trusts, Hertfordshire, 30 Days Wild, #StayWild, #LivingLifeWild, membership, wildlife, nature

And if you are looking for a new challenge, it is now Plastic Free July too! #PlasticFree 

Our (Sub)Urban Nature Walk #30DaysWild 

To mark the end of 30 Days Wild, Squiggle was given the choice of what nature activity to do. (Making it a totally random act of wildness for me!!!) She chose to go on a nature walk to the ‘burbs, so we set off on our ‘final’ adventure (of course it isn’t really – we will #StayWild and continue #LivingLifeWild as we always have!) 

We took our time, stopping to take photos and study the beautiful plants, flowers, insects and other nature along our way. We then stopped for a quick play in the park, which we were delighted to find had been left overgrown and wild, before heading back.

So I will leave you with a small selection of the photos we took…

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30 Days Wild, nature, nature walk, nature photography, suburbs, Hertfordshire, childhood unplugged, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

30 Days Wild, nature, nature walk, nature photography, suburbs, Hertfordshire, childhood unplugged, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

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30 Days Wild, nature, nature walk, nature photography, suburbs, Hertfordshire, childhood unplugged, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

30 Days Wild, nature, nature walk, nature photography, suburbs, Hertfordshire, childhood unplugged, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

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30 Days Wild, nature, nature walk, nature photography, suburbs, Hertfordshire, childhood unplugged, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

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30 Days Wild, nature, nature walk, nature photography, suburbs, Hertfordshire, childhood unplugged, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

30 Days Wild, nature, nature walk, nature photography, suburbs, Hertfordshire, childhood unplugged, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

30 Days Wild, nature, nature walk, nature photography, suburbs, Hertfordshire, childhood unplugged, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

30 Days Wild, nature, nature walk, nature photography, suburbs, Hertfordshire, childhood unplugged, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

Nature Photography (Taken During Rock Hunting)

We took a few nature photos during our rock hunting, and I just couldn’t resist posting them as I do love to share! Enjoy…

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Soldier beetle
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Fungi on tree trunk

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30 Days Wild, nature, nature walk, nature photography, Hertfordshire, childhood unplugged, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

30 Days Wild, nature, nature walk, nature photography, Hertfordshire, childhood unplugged, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

#30DaysWild  #StayWild  #LivingLifeWild 

Rock Hunting: Nature’s Answer To Pokemon Go! #30DaysWild 

Have you heard of the new craze? Painted rocks have been hidden all over our local area to encourage people to get outside and explore to find them. And to spread some love and positivity around; like a little act of kindness for the person who finds it. What an amazing way to put a smile on peoples’ faces! Of course, we could not wait to go out on a rock hunt to see what we could find!

painted rocks, rock hunt, St Albans Rocks UK, Hertfordshire, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, 30 days wild, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

It turned out to be much harder than we thought! We knew very rough locations, and had vague picture clues, but looking for small rocks in a very large area is… well… abit like looking for a needle in a haystack! But that just encouraged us to look more closely, stay out longer, walk further and explore different areas – which is great!

Just a little note to anyone considering doing this as a set activity (e.g. home educators or organised groups for example): it would be easier, and an awesome educational activity, if they were mapped out in advance. Great for developing old school map reading skills too! (I guess this would make it more of a geocaching style activity). Of course this would rely on people not removing, or relocating, any of them. (Hopefully no one will remove them anyway though obviously, as it is meant to be an activity for everyone to enjoy!)

Also, if you were doing this, a handy suggestion might be to map them out with a small circle radius rather than a precise location, so that it still gives abit of freedom to rehide them elsewhere – as long as it is within close proximity to the original spot. I say this because Squiggle was really keen to move one to a new hiding place so we compromised and she hid it right by the next tree instead, less than a metre away!

painted rocks, rock hunt, St Albans Rocks UK, Hertfordshire, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, 30 days wild, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

Anyway, they are just little tips if anyone is thinking about doing it as a home ed activity or setting it up as an ‘organised’ event. But back to our fun of rock hunting…

We were incredibly lucky to find not just one, but two painted rocks! Squiggle was delighted that she spotted them!!! The first was a beautiful heart rock…

painted rocks, rock hunt, St Albans Rocks UK, Hertfordshire, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, 30 days wild, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

The second was a pretty colourful rainbow…

painted rocks, rock hunt, St Albans Rocks UK, Hertfordshire, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, 30 days wild, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

We had so much fun! It is such a lovely activity and a brilliant, creative, inspired idea – love it!!! Thank you so much to the wonderful people who came up with this initiative and organised it in our area. We are so grateful! For more information, check out St Albans Rocks UK.

We then also painted our own rocks when we returned home, so we will be hiding those in our local park soon too! Thanks again!!!

painted rocks, rock hunt, St Albans Rocks UK, Hertfordshire, get outside, kids need nature, outdoors, 30 days wild, #30dayswild, #staywild, #livinglifewild

Happy rock hunting! 

Puddle Jumping #30DaysWild

Today has been a very wet day. But that definitely doesn’t stop us from getting out and having fun; it was the perfect day for a rainy walk and splashing in puddles! 

30 days wild, #30dayswild, #livinglifewild, childhood unplugged, puddle jumping, splashing, rain, blue mind

What have you done today? Tell me in comments!

Fungi Facts – #30DaysWild

I received an email from Grow Wild (Kew Gardens) recently all about fungi. There are free downloads on their website with lots of interesting information and even a fun(gi) quiz to do too! So I decided my challenge for today would be to do a mini project on fungi, then share with you some of the fascinating facts I learned!

So here are 5 cool things you might not have known about fungi…

  • Fungi is closer to a creature than a plant.
  • Fungi can be found in space!
  • We depend on fungi to survive.
  • Fungi has been around for millions of years; it preceeds dinosaurs.
  • Chocolate, amongst other food and drink, contains fungus!

Fungi, The Wildlife Trust, 30 days wild, #30dayswild, #livinglifewild, nature, wildlife, home education, freedom to learn, natural environment, outdoors, get outside, go explore, Living Life Our Way

    Here is an ode to fungi too…

      Gobions Wood, Hertfordshire: A Magical Place To Explore

      Today we visited Gobions Wood in Hertfordshire for the first time, which we discovered from a useful list of local nature reserves on Herts Wildlife Trust website. 

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      The first section of our walk took us past beautiful meadows, where moths and butterflies fluttered around us as we walked. 

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      We then reached the entrance to the wood…

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      Honestly, I have never felt quite so overwhelmed (and almost intimidated!) walking into a wood. I literally got tingles down my spine and a surge of excitement in my tummy. 

      Two huge ancient trees guard either side of the path as you enter, towering above everything, watching over the rest of the woodland…

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      It looks like something out of a film; like walking into a Lord Of The Rings set or somewhere…

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      I love the colours and the way the lower leaves create a whispy appearance, almost motioning to the path…

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      Squiggle found this and asked me to take a photo…

      She loved exploring…

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      It is a magical, enchanting place to explore and we hope to return soon! 

      How Your Garden Transforms Through The Seasons 

      The garden is meant to be enjoyed. With only a little attention here and there, your garden can flourish. Understanding the seasons, the challenges and the opportunities it brings to your garden is key to success throughout the gardening calendar.

      garden, seasons, our world, #livinglifewild, environment, gardening, Rattan Direct, infographic

      Darkness and Cold of Winter

      Protect your garden and wildlife from the worse of the winter by ensuring vulnerable plants are protected and give wildlife ample opportunity to make their homes.

      The Green of Spring

      As the days begin to warm, plants and wildlife awaken from their winter slumber. Night time can still be cold, but with mulch and fertilisers, your garden has everything that it needs. 

      The Golden Glow of Summer

      Long days with soaring temperatures bring colour back to the garden. But take care of the soil and maintain its moisture levels for your plants to bloom, and your vegetable plot to produce an abundant harvest.

      The Red Autumn

      Just before trees shed their leaves, the golden yellow colours and deep, dark reds are a joy to behold – enjoy every minute of the autumn garden, helping it to remain strong and lush for as long as possible.

      Do you know how to work with the seasons in your garden?

      *Disclosure: This post has been written in collaboration with Rattan Direct.

      Pick Your Own: Fruit Farm Visit #30DaysWild

      Today we visited a local pick your own fruit farm. We love growing our own food at home of course, but we also love the fun of visiting the PYO fruit farm too! It had only just opened for the season so there were quite alot of people there, but there was an abundance of delicious fruit that was ripe for the picking! I took some pictures of the fruit, which you can find in my photo gallery. And here are some of Squiggle collecting various fruits…

      childhood unplugged, fruit farm, pick your own, PYO, places to visit, Herts

      childhood unplugged, fruit farm, pick your own, PYO, places to visit, Herts

      childhood unplugged, fruit farm, pick your own, PYO, places to visit, Herts

      childhood unplugged, fruit farm, pick your own, PYO, places to visit, Herts

      childhood unplugged, fruit farm, pick your own, PYO, places to visit, Herts

      By the way, does anyone else see a smiley face strawberry with a big nose…

      strawberry, smiley face fruit, fruit farm, pick your own, PYO, places to visit, Herts

      What have you been doing so far this weekend, and what plans do you have?

      Star in the Night Sky #30DaysWild

      In the early hours of yesterday morning, around 3am, I stood in the garden and looked up at the night sky. There was a bright light flashing, at first I thought it was a plane. After watching for several minutes though, it was definitely not moving and I realised it must be a star. But it was genuinely – by a million fold – the brightest, twinkliest, most magical looking star that I have ever seen. It made every other star in the sky look practically invisible because it shone so bright and twinkled so much. I know that this probably sounds silly, but honestly I cannot emphasise enough how mesmerising it was. 

      I tried to get a decent shot of it but it just doesn’t even in the slightest tiniest way begin to do it even a miniscule amount of justice. You can only just see it as a small white dot in between the trees (to the left in the photo above, in the very middle of the photo below).

      I started thinking; I wonder how many other people have ever looked up at the night sky and spotted that same star? I wonder if they had the same thoughts as me? I wonder if anyone else is out there looking up at it right now, this same moment? Truly amazing when you think about it. The universe is so huge, and we are all just a small dot in comparison. Yet everything is connected. And each one of us has an impact and can make a difference. Incredible.