Day 11; #30DaysWild - Lickey Festival

Day 11 of #30DaysWild was spent volunteering on two stalls at the Lickey Festival. For the first part I was at the Lickey Hills Ranger stall (hayfevering mostly, but also talking to people about bees). For the second part I was talking to people about geology, on the Geo-Champions stall. I spent about 40 minutes explaining everything about geology and geological history to two policemen!

The stall next to the Rangers was an animal stall, and they had rabbits, a meerkat, a skunk, spiders, snakes and stick insects. I love snakes, so I held one! It slithered around my neck and shoulders for a bit before settling down in the warm and snuggly hood of my jumper. After the lady retrieved him, I then held a stick insect, who crawled up my arm and settled on my throat. Its feet were very tickly! 

Every June the Wildlife Trusts run a campaign called 30 Days Wild. This is my second year taking part, and the idea is to encourage wildness, exploration and an involvement with the natural world. The daily things can be anything, from walking barefoot, to doing outdoor yoga, or growing veg to hunting out woodlice under a stone. Little things that help you reconnect with nature! Random Acts of Wildness are also fully encouraged.

Day 10; #30DaysWild - Exploring Some Nettles

On day 10 of #30DaysWild I was at work in Warwickshire. In the afternoon I tended to the educational garden before having a hayfever attack and getting through two packets of tissues (HOW can I produce SO MUCH SNOT), so I took myself off in the truck to do a site patrol. I went to the far end of site to have a look at a patch of nettles. This patch has been left to grow long and wild and it’s really good for wildlife spotting. I saw three types of damselfly, two types of spider, 3 types of hoverflies, 2 types of bumblebee, and a bunny rabbit! Leaving an area of nettles to grow can make a really good habitat for a range of beasties.

Every June the Wildlife Trusts run a campaign called 30 Days Wild. This is my second year taking part, and the idea is to encourage wildness, exploration and an involvement with the natural world. The daily things can be anything, from walking barefoot, to doing outdoor yoga, or growing veg to hunting out woodlice under a stone. Little things that help you reconnect with nature! Random Acts of Wildness are also fully encouraged.

Day 09; #30DaysWild - Inspiration

Day 9 of #30DaysWild was all about inspiration. I wrote quite a long thing on my fb about it, which I shall regurgitate here.

I finished my first week in my new job as a Ranger. The only reason I wanted to work as a Ranger is because of the people I know, have volunteered with, worked with, and am now loved up with...

I started volunteering at the Lickey Hills back in 2013 when I came back from mapping. I was part of the geological conservation group. In 2015 I joined their general conservation team too, and it was there that I learned to fell a tree (thanks Penny), how to manage heathland and why, and how to install and repair fencing (didn't mean to hit your thumb with the hammer David, but look where it got us). It was and still is Steven who inspires and encourages me to be a bee nerd. It was at an ACT session that I learned I was successful in getting an interview at the Wildlife Trust for the traineeship. If it wasn't for the Lickey Hills Ranger team, I wouldn't be anywhere today. I wouldn't have learned about management, I wouldn't haven't got the traineeship, I wouldn't have learnt how to coax a cold bee onto my hand, I wouldn't have My David, I would probably still be doing shitty work.

Last year at the Trust was hard - mentally, emotionally, financially and sometimes physically. I owe a lot to it tho. Thomas has taught me loads about practical site work, tool handling and use (I was commended on my really good tamping technique yesterday), and how to negotiate with people. Natalie has inspired me to take more of an interest in birds - I wish I could identify them as well as you can, and I think your dedication is inspiring. Andy still has a lot of patience when I tweet him pictures of bugs, and I can't even begin to say how much I've learnt by being around the Trust and EcoRecord last year.

I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today without these people and experiences. You think you have no power in this world, but actually you've inspired at least one person, but probably countless more, to change their career path and learn something completely new and now land their (latest) dream job as a Ranger. Being able to pass on what I've learnt to visitors or a schoolkids is a delight, and I think this next six months at Nottingham is going to be a steep learning curve, but I'm ready for it.

Every June the Wildlife Trusts run a campaign called 30 Days Wild. This is my second year taking part, and the idea is to encourage wildness, exploration and an involvement with the natural world. The daily things can be anything, from walking barefoot, to doing outdoor yoga, or growing veg to hunting out woodlice under a stone. Little things that help you reconnect with nature! Random Acts of Wildness are also fully encouraged.

Day 08; #30DaysWild - A Happy Laura

On the third day of my new job and day 08 of #30DaysWild, I was very happy. Settling in well at my new job, helped with lots of practical work including bashing a lump of concrete off a post with a wrecking bar – very fun, very hard! I had a happy and smelly day at work. Very grateful to have the chance to work outdoors and get involved in park maintenance and conservation.

Every June the Wildlife Trusts run a campaign called 30 Days Wild. This is my second year taking part, and the idea is to encourage wildness, exploration and an involvement with the natural world. The daily things can be anything, from walking barefoot, to doing outdoor yoga, or growing veg to hunting out woodlice under a stone. Little things that help you reconnect with nature! Random Acts of Wildness are also fully encouraged.

Day 07; #30DaysWild - Newt Bebbe!

For day 7 of #30DaysWild, I helped to run a pond dipping session at work with a colleague. We found loads of beasties, including a diving beetle, leeches, hoglouse, snails and newts. I saw my first ever baby newt! They are called an ‘eft’, or a newtlet, and they look a lot like a miniature axolotl. I also held a female smooth newt and showed her to the children.

Every June the Wildlife Trusts run a campaign called 30 Days Wild. This is my second year taking part, and the idea is to encourage wildness, exploration and an involvement with the natural world. The daily things can be anything, from walking barefoot, to doing outdoor yoga, or growing veg to hunting out woodlice under a stone. Little things that help you reconnect with nature! Random Acts of Wildness are also fully encouraged.

Day 06; #30DaysWild - Bee Orchid

On day 6 of #30DaysWild, I started my new job as a Park Ranger! I had a great first day – I emptied 23 dog poo bins and drove the Kubota buggy like a madwoman. Great fun. I also saw my first bee orchid of the year!

Every June the Wildlife Trusts run a campaign called 30 Days Wild. This is my second year taking part, and the idea is to encourage wildness, exploration and an involvement with the natural world. The daily things can be anything, from walking barefoot, to doing outdoor yoga, or growing veg to hunting out woodlice under a stone. Little things that help you reconnect with nature! Random Acts of Wildness are also fully encouraged.

Day 05; #30DaysWild - Bee Rescue!

Day 5 of #30DaysWild has been very autumnal – wet, windy, cold and grey. I went up to one of my favourite haunts, the Lickey Hills (I like to loiter), and I saw a small wet bumblebee holding tightly onto a comfrey leaf, just outside the Visitor Centre. I put my finger in front of it and it crawled on board, not even bothering to wave its legs to try and scare me off, and then I put it on the hands of one of the Rangers so that she could cuddle it and share bodyheat to warm it up. A bee needs to be 30˚C on the inside for its wing muscles to work properly, so if you find a cold and wet bee clinging onto a plant, get it onto your hand (gently!) and let it warm up. It’ll start to move its wings and walk around more. They don’t always need sugar water but it’s a good idea to offer some. 

Every June the Wildlife Trusts run a campaign called 30 Days Wild. This is my second year taking part, and the idea is to encourage wildness, exploration and an involvement with the natural world. The daily things can be anything, from walking barefoot, to doing outdoor yoga, or growing veg to hunting out woodlice under a stone. Little things that help you reconnect with nature! Random Acts of Wildness are also fully encouraged.

Day 04; #30DaysWild - Urban Fossil Hunting

On day 4 of #30DaysWild, I ran my last guided walk for the Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust. Unfortunately the weather was not on our side, and it was very cold and wet. Shorts and suncream were definitely optimistic! This picture shows a fossil coral seen in the walls of the Birmingham Town Hall - I have blogged about this previously. The limestone here is around 330 million years old. Sharing the geological story of buildings has become one of my New Favourite Things To Do; you can read more on the #UrbanGeology tag both on this blog and on Twitter.


Every June the Wildlife Trusts run a campaign called 30 Days Wild. This is my second year taking part, and the idea is to encourage wildness, exploration and an involvement with the natural world. The daily things can be anything, from walking barefoot, to doing outdoor yoga, or growing veg to hunting out woodlice under a stone. Little things that help you reconnect with nature! Random Acts of Wildness are also fully encouraged.

Day 03; #30DaysWild - Minibeast Hunting

For day three of #30DaysWild I led two minibeast hunting sessions at work. We found loads of beetles, worms, centipedes and mosquitoes (which also found my blood vessels and now I’m sporting some lovely bites). Next week I will be leading a Nature Crowns Walk – if you’re in Warwickshire come along!

After the sessions had ended I went for a walk around site and I found a patch of nettles that was absolutely buzzing with damselflies, dragonflies, ladybirds, and bees. I snapped quite a few photos, but I’m very proud of this one – it is a male banded demoiselle dragonfly.

Every June the Wildlife Trusts run a campaign called 30 Days Wild. This is my second year taking part, and the idea is to encourage wildness, exploration and an involvement with the natural world. The daily things can be anything, from walking barefoot, to doing outdoor yoga, or growing veg to hunting out woodlice under a stone. Little things that help you reconnect with nature! Random Acts of Wildness are also fully encouraged.

Day 02; #30DaysWild - Allotment

On day two I visited my allotment to check up on how things are growing. The red currants are starting to go red, my pumpkin plants are developing their flower buds, and the chard, parsnip and lettuce are looking great. I harvested some things to use in my lunch for work tomorrow, and I also watched some tree bumblebees going in and out of their nest. Also, I managed to not take my hayfever medication today, so I left the allotment in a fit of sneezes and runny eyes.


Every June the Wildlife Trusts run a campaign called 30 Days Wild. This is my second year taking part, and the idea is to encourage wildness, exploration and an involvement with the natural world. The daily things can be anything, from walking barefoot, to doing outdoor yoga, or growing veg to hunting out woodlice under a stone. Little things that help you reconnect with nature! Random Acts of Wildness are also fully encouraged.

Day 01; #30DaysWild - A Walk Down The Canal

For the first day of 30 Days Wild, I lead a guided walk around Birmingham City Centre. On my way into the city, I decided to walk along the canal instead of the road. I have never walked this stretch before; it was really nice to explore a new stretch, and to look at all the different ferns growing from the wall. 


Every June the Wildlife Trusts run a campaign called 30 Days Wild. This is my second year taking part, and the idea is to encourage wildness, exploration and an involvement with the natural world. The daily things can be anything, from walking barefoot, to doing outdoor yoga, or growing veg to hunting out woodlice under a stone. Little things that help you reconnect with nature! Random Acts of Wildness are also fully encouraged.