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30 Days Wild: What the University of Derby Evaluation Found About Doing Something Wild Every Day

Posted on by Just Relax Store

Most advice about nature and wellbeing points to a big outing: a forest, a hillside, a long walk. The Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild takes a different approach by asking people to do one small “wild” thing a day for a month, from watching birds at a feeder to sitting under a tree. The challenge has been evaluated by researchers at the University of Derby, which makes it one of the better-documented nature habits. This guide sets out what the challenge involves, what the evaluation reported and how strong the evidence is. It is general wellbeing information and not a treatment for any condition.

What the challenge involves

The University of Derby describes 30 Days Wild as June’s national nature challenge, in which people do something wild every day for a month. Participants are given ideas, free wallcharts and activity sheets, with “random acts of wildness” that range from walking barefoot on grass to sitting beneath a tree or watching birds on a feeder (University of Derby, “New review says get long-lasting feel-good factor from 30 Days Wild”). A peer-reviewed paper on the 2017 campaign describes 101 “Random Acts of Wildness” grouped into four types: noticing, such as watching a butterfly; sharing experiences; doing, such as leaving a wild area in the garden; and connecting, such as nature-based arts. The campaign is self-directed, so participants choose their own activities and are not monitored (Richardson and McEwan, Frontiers in Psychology, 2018).

What the five-year review reported

The University of Derby says its review built on three peer-reviewed papers and summarised 1,105 people’s survey responses over five years. Participants rated their health, nature connectedness, happiness and pro-nature behaviour before the challenge, at the beginning of July when it had finished, and again in September, two months later. The university reports that:

  • nature connectedness rose by 56% among people who began with a weak connection to nature;
  • participants’ health rose by an average of 30%;
  • people, particularly those with a relatively weak nature connection at the start, became significantly happier;
  • pro-nature behaviour increased significantly; and
  • the increases were still present two months after the challenge ended, and those with the lowest starting nature connection gained most.

The university adds that over a million people took part across the five years it reviewed (University of Derby, as above).

How to read those numbers

The peer-reviewed paper on the 2017 campaign gives the detail behind the headlines, including its limits. Of the 49,000 people who signed up, 8,442 completed the baseline survey, and only 308 completed all three surveys: before, after 30 days and after two months. Health was measured with a single question asking people to rate their health on a five-point scale from poor to excellent, so the “30%” figure reflects changes in self-rated health rather than a clinical measurement. The authors list limitations: a pre-post design without a control group, short measures, a high attrition rate, activities that were not tracked, and participants who were overwhelmingly female. They say a randomised controlled trial was not practical, and that the results and conclusions should be treated with some caution, although the replication of core findings is positive (Richardson and McEwan, Frontiers in Psychology, 2018).

In plain terms, the evidence suggests that people who take part and complete the surveys report feeling better connected to nature, happier and healthier, and that the effect persists for at least two months. It does not show that a nature challenge causes these changes for everyone, or that it works better than other activities.

Trying it without the challenge

The challenge runs in June, but the idea travels. The paper’s four categories suggest a practical menu for any month:

  • Noticing: watch a butterfly, a tree or the sky for a few minutes.
  • Sharing: tell someone about what was seen, or post a photo.
  • Doing: leave a corner of the garden or a window box to grow wild.
  • Connecting: draw, photograph or write about something natural.

For more focused ways of spending time outdoors, see our guides to birdwatching for wellbeing and forest bathing.

Questions readers often ask

Do I have to take part in June?

The challenge is run in June, according to the University of Derby, but nothing stops a person using the same idea in another month.

Is this a treatment for low mood?

No. The evaluation looked at wellbeing, nature connection and self-rated health among people who chose to take part. Anyone struggling with persistent low mood should speak to their GP.

The bottom line

30 Days Wild asks for small, daily contact with nature for a month. The University of Derby’s evaluation reported higher nature connectedness, happiness and self-rated health that lasted at least two months, with the biggest gains among people who started with the weakest connection to nature. The evidence comes from self-selected participants without a control group and with high attrition, so it is encouraging rather than conclusive.

Sources

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