We are encouraging people to connect with nature throughout the year. Every month will have a different theme and we will be promoting resources and activities on this page as well as publicising related projects and events.
Please join in and let us know what you’ve been doing to connect with nature and help wildlife.
June's theme
30 Days Wild
30 Days Wild is the UK’s one and only month-long nature challenge from The Wildlife Trusts.
The challenge invites everyone to do something wild every day in June, connecting us all with the beauty and wonder of our natural world.
That’s 30 simple, fun and exciting random acts of wildness such as listening to birdsong, planting seeds, taking a wild photograph, building a bug hotel or simply jumping in puddles.
Sign up here for free and you'll receive a pack of goodies to help you plan your wild month, plus lots of ideas to inspire you to stay wild all throughout June (and beyond!).
There are special packs for schools, care homes and businesses – so anyone can have a go! 30 Days Wild really does make us feel happier and healthier!
For lots of ideas, activities and resources to help you connect with nature during 30 Days Wild, check out the other tabs on this webpage, particularly the ‘wildlife activity sheets’.
Nature Events
Wild Banbury is leading family bat walks in the town on:
- Thursday, 1 June - Banbury bat walk information and booking
- Thursday, 15 June - Banbury bat walk information and booking
Cherwell District Council is hosting a 30 Days Wild pop-up event to encourage people of all ages to connect with nature every single day during the month of June:
- Tuesday 13 June from 2pm to 3pm at Castle Quay Community Space (Unit 56 Castle Quay shopping centre, OX16 5UH).
Banbury Community Action Group is hosting a water activity drop in event to celebrate Oxfordshire’s Great Big Green Week:
- Saturday 17 June, 11am to 1pm at Bridge Street Community Garden.
Swift Conservation
Our swifts come back from Africa in late May and quite possibly there will be some nesting near where you live. You may see them when out walking, flying low over roof-tops or making screaming calls as they go. No other British bird behaves like this. It’s an indication there are nest sites nearby. You might even be lucky enough to spot one returning to its nest hole under the eaves of a building.
How can you help?
The population of Swifts is nearly 60 per cent lower than it was 25 years ago. In 2021 it was moved onto the Red list of birds of greatest conservation concern (along with house martins and green finches) because of this decline. So Swifts need all the help we can provide or they will vanish from the UK. In colder wet weather they feed over local ponds, lakes and reservoirs but on fine days they will be high overhead, feasting on flying insects.
Noting down when and where you see swifts can help the Cherwell swifts conservation project by increasing knowledge of local populations, enabling the protection of nest sites and asking for new ones in buildings through the planning process. Swift bricks can be included in the fabric of new buildings, including home extensions, and nest boxes can be fitted to existing buildings.
Please send any records of birds going into nests, screaming parties and low-flying swifts to Chris Mason, the co-ordinator of the Cherwell swifts conservation project. If you are interested in putting up a nest box, or including Swift bricks in a new build project, Chris is able to advise on what, where and how.
Email: mason@cando.eclipse.co.uk
See the Wild About High Fliers guide to learn more about these amazing birds - as well as swallows and sand/house martins, why they matter and how you can help them.
Nesting swifts
You can see nesting swifts on the Sibfords Swifts nestbox webcams. Visit the swift-conservation website for more information.