June is the month to start taking action, as Sue Bradley discovers with the help of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is on a mission to encourage more people in the county to take action for nature, with a goal of getting at least 15,000 of us to become advocates for wildlife by 2030.
The charity believes passionately that individuals making small changes to their lives can have a big impact on the world around them, as well as bringing about positive benefits for their own physical and mental health.
Every year, GWT promote 30 Days Wild – the UK’s biggest nature challenge, inviting people to sign up and do one wild thing every day for 30 days throughout the month of June. With wild actions ranging from hugging a tree, to ditching the car and walking to work – with the overall aim of increasing connection to the natural world.
‘But this year we want to do even more to inspire the next generation, and make action for nature available to everyone, everyday – whatever stage along the journey they are at and wherever they live,’ says Community Action Manager Will Masefield.
This year GWT launch their ‘Do One Thing’ project, funded through the National Lottery Community Fund’s Platinum Jubilee Fund.
Through a series of roadshows and workshop days, local people will be able to discover how small steps can make a difference. There will be a whole range of activities, from using recycled materials to make a bird feeder or insect home, to making a wildlife pond.
What’s more, WilderGlos – the Trust’s new digital action platform, can be accessed 24/7 and empowers individuals taking action to join a movement of people recording wild tasks and competing for points and prizes.
‘When people decide to join in on this journey of action, we provide the tools and resources they need for them to sustain and increase that action, hopefully inviting others to take part and creating active communities championing wildlife,’ says Will.
Some of these resources are toolkits that community groups can use to become more effective, inclusive and joined up with like-minded groups and broader strategies in the county.
‘The impacts of climate and environmental crises can be very overwhelming,’ explains Will, ‘but the efforts of individuals become very meaningful when you can see that lots of people are doing it – this becomes empowering.
‘For example, by registering how much land you are setting by for nature on the WilderGlos platform (whether that’s a window-box or a whole meadow) we can see the ‘People’s Nature Reserve’ growing in size month by month.’
A number of people using the WilderGlos platform have already volunteered to become Wilder Champions for GWT. These wildlife heroes are promoting action for nature in their own communities and inspiring others with their examples.
Wildlife-friendly actions we can all take
- Buy biodegradable teabags or loose tea to reduce microplastics – this is because plastic is often woven into the teabag paper fibres for sealing
- Tidy up your email inbox to reduce energy used by servers
- Cut loops on disposable facemasks and beer cans to prevent wildlife getting snared
- Pick up any litter you pass, especially glass bottles that can cut paws
SUBSCRIBE to Cotswold Life magazine to learn more about the Cotswold countryside.
- Use environmentally-friendly cleaning products
