We have been taking part in 30 days wild for over 6 years now, we always have so many great adventures, experiences and memorable wildlife encounters along the way. Every day in June we try to connect with nature by exploring the wild spaces around us. From woodlands, meadows, streams, lakes, rivers, and shores to nature reserves, and more urban spaces like ponds, gardens and parks. 

My favourite part of 30 Days Wild is always the wonderful and unexpected wildlife encounters we have whilst out and about in nature. This year we were surprised and delighted to find a mole in a meadow digging and expanding its burrow, pushing earth upwards and creating new mole mounds in the process. Moles play an important role in the environment by aerating soil and improving drainage as well as helping to control populations of soil dwelling grubs and insects. There is a often a whole hidden world of wildlife underneath our feet that we overlook, from the largest burrowing animals and invertebrates to the most microscopic organisms like fungi, slime molds, nematodes and tardigrades. Amazingly just a single teaspoon of healthy soil can contain over 100 million microorganisms. These microorganisms are vital decomposers of organic material, recycling nutrients back into the soil and converting and fixing nitrogen into forms that plants can absorb. 

This 30 days wild we also discovered a wild bee hive, helped return a fledgling crow to its parents, released butterflies and watched beautiful banded damselflies dancing over a stream at a local nature reserve. The damselflies were so busy battling for the best position to attract a mate that they kept accidently landing on my camera and hand! Did you know that Damselflies and dragonflies spend the first few years of their lives under water as aquatic larvae called nymphs? These well camouflaged little water nymphs breathe through gills and will remain underwater for an average of 2-5 years depending on the species. They are ferocious under water predators preying on insect larvae, invertebrates, tadpoles and even small fish. 

You can often find a wealth of interesting aquatic wildlife in freshwater habitats like ponds, lakes and streams. This year we really enjoyed pond dipping at the beautiful Swanwick Lakes nature reserve, where we found lots of fascinating aquatic minibeasts from water boatmen and pond skaters to diving beetles, larvae and worms. Whilst we were there we also explored the woodlands and meadows, spotting lots of interesting wildflowers and pollinating insects like butterflies, bees and moths along the way. We also took part in the Big Wild Camp-out and went litter picking at Peartree Green nature reserve and enjoyed a wildflower walk and Nature watch activities at Millers Pond nature reserve. 

We are so very lucky to have so many beautiful wild spaces near us to explore and enjoy even though we live in a very built up urban area. The only reason we have these beautiful spaces is because they have been protected and cared for future generations to enjoy. They are little pockets of wilderness, beauty and wildlife in an otherwise urban jungle. It is more vital than ever to protect these special places not only for the benefit of our own physical and mental wellbeing but also for the incredible wildlife that thrives in these areas. 

As wildlife habitats are in decline it's also more important than ever to make spaces for wildlife in urban environments, like towns, cities, streets, roadsides and homes. If everyone made small changes to their gardens and homes we could greatly increase the chances of survival for many endangered and important species of UK animals like hedgehogs and bats. Even by simply leaving areas of grass and weeds to grow wild naturally can provide a wealth of food, shelter and egg laying spaces for a variety of species. What we often think of as weeds are actually just successful and vitally important wildflowers and plants. Making a home for wildlife in our garden during each 30 days wild has already greatly increased the amount and diversity of wildlife we see on a daily basis. This year we added a hedgehog highway to our garden as well as some hoverfly lagoons, insect hotels, nesting sites for bumble bees and miner bees, bat boxes, butterfly feeders, bird feeders and a bird bath. We also put out water for wildlife and planted even more flowering plants for pollinators.

It is so easy to overlook and take for granted the plants and animals that are all around us on a daily basis, especially those that we think of as a nuisance or just dismiss as being common. This year we learned that millipedes and earwigs are amazing little recyclers that help to decompose organic matter recycling nutrients back into the soil as well as providing a source of food for a variety of other animals. We also learned that grass, lichen and moss are incredibly resilient plants that provide food, shelter and homes for a wide variety of wildlife worldwide as well as producing essential oxygen, absorbing carbon, preventing soil erosion, filtering water and breaking down harmful microbes and other pollutants like toxic metals. They have all also adapted some amazing ways to survive in a wide variety of hostile climates and challenging environments worldwide. 

Lichens for example are a great example of two different species coming together to work in symbiosis or mutualism. They are made up of a partnership of fungi and algae, with the outer surface and internal structure of the lichen being formed by strands of fungal hyphae inside of which are individual cells of algae. The fungi provides protection and shelter for the algae absorbing water to prevent it from drying out and deterring herbivores and microbes from eating or attacking it. The algae in return creates food for the fungi ( and itself) using photosynthesis to convert sunlight into carbohydrates. 

And mosses can survive at a vast range of temperatures with some species being able to withstand temperature as high as 100°C (by drying out and becoming dormant), and lows of -272°C. In hot or sunny environments they help to shade and insulate the soil from heat, protecting the roots of plants and trees and slowing the rate of Arctic ice melt. In colder environments they also create a warm insulating blanket that helps keep animals, plants and trees warm. Some species of cave moss even have bioluminescent properties which helps to grow in environments with limited light. 

A great way to learn more about the wonderful world of plants and animals around you is by taking part in Citizen Science. Citizen science is when members of the public work together to gather ( or analyse) data that helps with scientific understanding or research. It's a great way to help with conservation by expanding knowledge and understanding of the wildlife in your local areas. You might be surprised to find even the most urban spaces are teeming with wildlife when you take the time to look closely. This year for 30 Days Wild we took part in the Great Egg case hunt and the Big Seaweed Search citizen science projects looking for shark egg cases and seaweed on the shore. We also took part in the Buzz Clubs Earwi'Go', Marvelous Minors and Garden Shop Calculator projects and recorded some of our nature walk finds on national databases like Nature's Calendar and iRecord. We also learned how to spot and record invasive species as well as enjoying lots of different simple science experiments to help us learn how seeds grow, how the weather works and how the sun affects life on earth. 

There are so many simple things you can do to help nature, from taking part in citizen science projects, making your garden more wildlife friendly, litter picking, getting involved in conservation and going plastic free, to volunteering at local nature reserves, supporting wildlife charities, donating money and petitioning on behalf of environmental causes. But the most important thing you can do is share your passion and enthusiasm for it, show pictures, share stories, educate and encourage others to join in with you. We protect the things we care about, and in order to get society to care about nature we first have to get them to engage with the beautiful and amazing natural world all around them. 

As always 30 days wild for me personally is very much about just that, encouraging others to enjoy and care about nature, raising awareness and passing on knowledge, promoting conservation and supporting our local nature reserves and wildlife charities, not just for 30 days wild but as something we embrace as part of our daily lives all year round. Already this July we have enjoyed taking part in wildflower surveys, exploring local woodland park, learning how bees make honey and communicate by waggle dance and observed a variety of interesting wasps visiting our garden. Did you know there are over 7000 different species of wasp in the UK? Wasps play an important role as pollinators as well as provide a vital source of food for other wildlife and helping to control pest populations of insects especially those found on crops. Some of them like the ruby tailed wasp can also be surprisingly beautiful.