Get Active: volunteer, experience, connect with the natural world

 
 
 
Get Active: volunteer, experience, connect with the natural world and put animal magic into your life! 

 RSS Feed

  1.  

    Those fabulous people at Garden Wildlife Direct have some fly away fantastic offers on throughout the year, with everything you need for your garden birds and wildlife!

    Garden Wildlife Direct has seed mixes for spring, summer, autumn and winter, with different brands including Peckish, Wildlife World, Gardeman and Garden Wildlife Direct's own brand.   

    They've got Premium Seed Mixes - support those feathered friends of yours! - and High Energy Mixes. These have a mix of nutrition and energy, and you can use them with feeders, bird tables and on the ground. 

    And they always have lots of lovely offers on, perfect when we are all trying to help wildlife and yet make our money go further.  And the great news is that Garden Wildlife Direct have very regular offers to help you do just both those things! 

    For example, this weekend until midnight on Monday 4th November 2024, they've got 20% off their seed mixes:

    20% Off All Seed Mixes + FREE Express Delivery on Orders Over £25!
    All you have to do is to enter the code SEED at the checkout
    to get 20% off your chosen seed mixes.
    If you spend over £25 select the 1-2 days delivery option for £0.00
    to get your FREE Express Delivery.* 
    Fly off to have a look here!

    You can also check out Garden Wildlife Direct's budget bird food, to help you save money whilst supporting wildlife and giving them a helping hand. 

    There's all sorts of bird food, from seeds to sunflower hearts, suet balls to food for wildlife.   They've got sunflower heart/seeds, Millet seeds, bird food bundles and starter kits for those of you who want to start feeding the birds in your garden.  

     

     The Premium Sunflower Heart Kernels are from only £6.99!

    The Premium Sunflower Heart Kernels 
     are high in energy, and a valuable and nutritious seed for birds.

    They've got suet fat balls, suet blocks, suet coconut shells and suet pallets, plus a range of feeders for mealworms, ground feeders, sunflowers and seeds.

    These Sunflower Heart Chips & Peanut Granules are available from only £9.49!

    These Sunflower Heart Chips & Peanut Granules
     deliver the protein and carbohydrates needed year round,
    keeping the birds warm in winter and the colder, wet season.   
    They also provide an additional energy booster and they are a fledgling mix.


    If you haven't got a garden, you can still do your bit with a window feeder, and there  are window sticker alerts to stop the birds flying into your window and injuring  themselves or worse.

    And of course you can get a full range of accessories such as bird tables, bird baths, nesting boxes, organments for your garden and things to store your bird goodies in.

    This Wildlife World Bempton Hanging Bird Table could make a great gift for someone and for garden birds!
    This Wildlife World Bempton Hanging Bird Table 
    could make a great gift for someone and for garden birds!

    If you have or want to encourage ducks, swans, hedgehogs, squirrels, chickcn and poultry, then they have food for those animals as well, plus bee houses and insect hotels. 

    This is a great chance to get stocked up with essentials for the wildlife in your garden, be they birds, or bats or hedgehogs. squirrels or bees, so fly off to Garden Wildlife Direct for more information

    * OFFER DETAILS: Discount is only applicable to products in Garden Wildlife Direct's  'Seed Mixes' category. If your discount or free express delivery upgrade isn't available when you apply the code, please contact them prior to placing your order. Orders submitted without an offer code cannot be amended retrospectively. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or reward points. View full terms and conditions here.

    Delivery charges apply to orders under £25 or 'out of areas' postcodes. Express delivery will take considerably longer to locations deemed as 'out of areas'. Full delivery details here.

     

  2.  

    If you're looking for an animal experience as a gift for an animal lover, or you want to treat yourself, take a look at gift experience company Into the Blue 

    They've got a number of animal experiences, with animals such as ferrets, tamarin monkeys, alpacas, meerkats, pigs, sheep, snakes and crocodiles, bees, horses and donkeys. 

    They have a number of experiences for horse lovers, including a couple near York (Skipwith) - you can have a Traditional Farm & Horse Experience or a Two Wheeler Horse Cart Driving Experience, for instance.  They've also got Romantic Horse and Carriage Rides for Two there, or maybe you'd prefer aHorse Drawn Carriage Rides with Afternoon Tea?

    SPECIAL OFFER!!

    There's great news from Into the Blue!  They have a 15% off code for you!  It's valid on experiences up to £250.00 and it's ongoing.  The code is ITB15FORME.   There's no minimum spend, although some products are excluded from this offer - but it's a great chance to enjoy some wonderful animal experiences!

     

    Traditional Farm & Horse Experience near York
    There's a Traditional Farm & Horse Experience near York
    for half a day or a full day.
    Gallop off here for more information.

    There are animal experiences here.

    Bee-keeping experiences are listed here.

    Fly off to see the falconry experiences here.

    Click here to see the photography experiences - there are some wildlife photography experience days amongst them.

    There are lots of falconry experiences to choose from
    There are lots of falconry experiences to choose from
    - there are locations around the UK and they start at £24.50
    Experience a meeting and handling a bird of prey
    and even flying them to your gloved hand!

    Try a bee keeping experience!

    Try a bee keeping experience!
    They start at £35.00
    Find out all about the art of keeping bees and making honey!


    There are a number of animal-related photography experiences

    There are a number of animal-related photography experiences
    - some are not animal related and some are online.  

    How about a Carnivore Encounter in Shropshire?
    How about a Carnivore Encounter in Shropshire?

    £75.00
    Get up and close with 3 formidable carnivores
    Meet a Red Fox family and feed them, stroke and handle the Snakes, 
    and meet the servals and stroke them too!

    There's a Border Collie Experience in Leicestershire
    There's a Border Collie Experience in Leicestershire
    Learn the art of traditional shepherding, 
    and meet the sheepdogs!  All for £99.00.
    Fetch more information here.

    You could go Alpaca Walking in Warwickshire

    You could go Alpaca Walking in Warwickshire 
    from £7.50 for a child, £13.50 for an adult.
    Meet the alpaca herd near Atherstone
    and head off on a guided walk with your alpaca!

    There's Sheep Trekking in Somerset

    There's Sheep Trekking in Somerset
    from £25.00
    Meet and greet the friendly sheep and give them snacks
    Lead a sheep on a stroll across fields and through woodland

    There's Ancient Trails Pony Walking in Dorset

    There's Ancient Trails Pony Walking in Dorset
    from £49.00
    This is a great way to discover Dorset, 
    on a guided pony walk with a pony by your side!



    Meet the Meerkats in Oxfordshire
    Meet the Meerkats in Oxfordshire
    Learn all about the Meerkats' lives as a family
    and get to feed them inside their enclosure
     

    Click here to see all the Animal Experience Days and Gifts 

    Don't forget to use the code ITB15FORME to get your 15% off experiences up to £250.00
    Some products are excluded from this offer.


  3. Port Lympne Reserve is in Kent, and home to 900 animals such as spectacled bears, western lowland gorillas, black rhinos, primates, big cats and more!  It's a breeding sanctuary for rare and endangered animals and the reserve tries to ensure that the animals born there are in protected areas of their natural habitat and they can live free.  

    The enclosures are designed with the animals in mind - with lots of natural foliage and shelter.  This means that  - like in the wild - it may take some time to spot some of the animals.  No expense is spared for them. And you can visit and see the reserve - and also you can enjoy a visit and expert rangers' safari!

    There's a great offer on Port Lympne (Kent) with Virgin Experience Days.... 

    Port Lympne Reserve Visit and Expert Rangers Safari for Two 

    This is currently on offer for £101 instead of £148, saving you 32%!


    This is a great chance to find out about the animals at the Port Lympne Reserve

    So what's included?

    • Visit to Port Lympne Reserve and Expert Rangers Safari for Two
    • 90 minute tour guided by one of the expert rangers
    • Learn about the animals you see
    • Hear about Port Lympne’s breeding programmes to help save critically endangered animals
    • Discover The Aspinall Foundation’s vital work to protect animals and their wild habitats

    The 90 minute tour is conducted by an expert ranger

    This is a great opportunity to discover all about Port Lympne’s breeding programmes to help save critically endangered animals such as the black rhino, Rothschild giraffe, and western lowland gorillas.  And you can hear about their work with The Aspinall Foundation, a conservation charity, to protect animals and their habitats (homes) in the wild.  

    There are lots of photo opportunities!

    Don't forget to take lots of photos!!

    You can also enjoy full access to the reserve for the rest of the day.

    Find out more here from Virgin Experience Days.

    By the way, they've also got a Port Lympne Reserve Gorilla Encounter and Truck Safari for Two which is also on offer - it's currently £170.00 instead of £234, saving you 27%!   Swing over to find out all about it here.


  4.  
    Those lovely folk at Pooch & Mutt have a range of treats for your woof, whether you want to show them even more love than usual, or help their dental health or calm a nervy dog.  

    They've got natural meals, treats and supplements to give dogs the optimal ingredients they need to boost their mood and behaviour "paw in paw", as they say,  with their physical health.



    There's a Cheese Fondue Dog Advent CalendarThere's a Cheese Fondue Dog Advent Calendar for £9.99

    And there's a great offer from Pooch and Mutt for you: 

    Use the code POOCH to get 20% off site wide util 5th November 2024 - there are some exclusions. 

    Head off to Pooch & Mutt to get your 20% off!

    Don't forget that Pooch & Mutt have also got some delicious dental treats, too...

    These are Superfood Dental Sticks for Dogs
    These are Superfood Dental Sticks for Dogs for £3.99
    made with natural functional ingredients. 
    A convenient way to clean your dog's teeth!

    There are Calming Probiotic Meaty Treats
    There are Calming Probiotic Meaty Treats for £3.99

    There's the Dental Stick Bundle For Dogs
    There's the Dental Stick Bundle For Dogs
    - all the flavours in one bundle!
    £11.49

    And there are Skin & Coat Probiotic Meaty Treats
    And there are Skin & Coat Probiotic Meaty Treats, 
    with Shrimp & Coconut for £3.99.  
    Pooch & Mutt say they are just the thing for dogs 
    who are prone to dry and itchy skin or
    who may need some help developing a glossy coat. 

    Head off to Pooch &  Mutt - they've got lots of lovely goodies for your dog (and cat) which will get tails wagging and cats purring! 

     

  5.  

    Whipsnade Zoo is situated in the beautiful Chiltern Hills in Hertfordshire, and 10,000 animals call it home - many of them are endangered in the wild.

    And the zoo had some amazing news to share with everyone earlier this month - a rare Southern white rhino calf was born to Fahari and Sissle in early October!

    Welcome to the world, little one!
    Welcome to the world, little one!

    He weighed roughly just under 50kg and first time mum Fahari did very well - her gestation period was 16 months so she had quite a wait, bless her.  Keepers have described how the calf is quite a character and actually stamps his feet when he's impatient for food.   He joins his half brother Benja who was born in March.  There are only about 17,500 of these particular rhinos left in the wild so you can see this is a really important birth. 

    In the wild, these rhinos are threatened by the illegal wildlife trade, since their horn is used for traditional medicine in Asia and for making dagger handles in the Middle East.  The Zoological Society of London is working worldwide to stop the illegal wildlife trade and you can find out how here. 

    Earlier this year in July, there was an important addition to the family of reticulated giraffes, when mum Luna gave birth to a male calf.   The calf is tall, standing at six feet already, and he could stand and walk and zoo staff monitored him carefully.  It wasn't long before he was racing round the paddock with another reticulated giraffe, who'd been born a few weeks before the male.

    The reticulated giraffe is endangered, so the new arrivals at Whipnsade are important
    The reticulated giraffe is endangered, so the new arrivals at Whipnsade are important

    This means there are now six giraffe at Whipnsade - the species is endangered because of illegal hunting, habitat destruction and human-giraffe conflict.  

    You can go and see the giraffe at Whipsnade zoo.  

    Will the new baby Southern white rhino be seen by the public?  This little rhino may not be just quite ready - check with the Whipsnade Zoo website!  But there's lots going on, with Boo to the Zoo for Halloween - there are lots of activities taking place.  Click on the meerkat to find out all about it!  It runs from the 26th October to the 3rd November 2024.

    Boo to the Zoo takes place for Halloween from 26th October to the 3rd November 2024
    Find out all about Boo to the Zoo 2024!

    Plan your visit here.

     

  6.  

    UPDATE OCTOBER 2024:

    There was a baby bear experience available in Kent at the Wildwood Trust but Boki has grown up now, so this is no longer available.  However - you can still have a bear experience at the Wildwood Trust's Kent site - find out more about it here!

    Unfortunately, poor Boki has not been very well, and he's been the first bear in the UK to have an MRI scan (at Fitzpatrick Referrals).  On Wednesday 9th October 2024, he'll have brain surgery with Romain Pizzi, a world leader in his field.  We wish Boki and the team well, and thank the team and everyone for their care of Boki.  Good luck!   You can donate to support here.   Find out more about it all here.

    Notes from the earlier blog:

    The Wildwood Trust is based in Kent (and Devon, but Boki is in Kent).  The Kent site is home to over 200 native animals, past and present, with bears, wolves, bison, deer, owls, foxes, red squirrels, wild boar, lynx, wild horses, badgers and beavers among those living in the 40 acres there.  

    Wildwood Trust is dedicated to saving Britain’s most threatened wildlife, and it's taken part in many conservation initiatives, such as saving the water vole and using wild horses to help restore nature reserves.  It's brought the Euroepan beaver back to Kent and brought the hazel dormouse & red squirrel back to areas where they have been made extinct.

    There's a Boki the bear experience in Kent


    And one of those living at the Wildwood Trust in Kent is Boki!  He's a baby bear whose family sadly rejected him.  He was hand-reared by the team at Port Lympne and now Boki has come home to Wildwood Kent, where he'll learn how to be a bear.

    Wildwood report that Boki has settled in well, and for a limited time only, they have a Boki the bear experience, giving you the chance to get close up and personal!  It is uncertain at the moment (April 2023) how long this experience with Boki the baby bear will continue - probably to September 2023 -  partly because of course Boki won't be a baby bear forever but also because he is starting to meet the adult bears and so there may be times when the experience with Boki needs to be suspended for a while.

    You can adopt Boki as well from £25.00

    Please note Wildwood Kent's "Things you need to know before you book" before you book.

    Good luck, Boki!

    Visit the Wildwood Trust here.

    Images © Wildwood Trust

     

  7.  

    Have you heard of Lily's Kitchen?

    They create yummy, wholesome food for both cats and dogs - they believe our cherished family members deserve to eat proper food full of nourishing ingredients.  They're on a mission to give pets a diet full of goodness, whilst treading lightly on the planet at the same time! 

    For dogs , they've got dry dog food, wet dog food, dental chews, treats, selection boxes and more.   They've got diets for dogs with sensitive tummies, and sensitive skin, and special diets that are grain free, hypoallergenic, organic and vegetarian.  You can order for puppies, adults and seniors.  They've got recepies in beef, chicken, salmon, goose, herring, lamb, pheasant and pork so you've got lots of choice!

     

    You can also buy these Bedtime Treats on their own
    You can buy these Bedtime Biscuits on their own for £3.50
    They have a bit of chamomile in them, known for its soothing properties!

    There's a Limited Edition Advent Calendar for Dogs!

    There's a Limited Edition Advent Calendar for Dogs!
    Your lovely dog can enjoy a treat in the lead up to Christmas!  
    It's got turkey bites, chicken bites and chicken with beef bites...
    Yummy!  

    Oy!  What about us?!!

    Yes, there's an Advent Calendar for Cats, too!
    Check it out here

    What about us cats??! 

    And for our feline members of the family, there's wet food, dry food, treats (of course!), selection boxes and you can choose from special diets such as grain free and organic and hypoallergenic.  You can also choose for kittens (under 1), adults (1 to 6) and seniors (7 plus).  Recipies include beef, chicken, salmon, cod, trout, prawn, turkey, pork, lamb and duck.  Miaow!! 

    They've also got helpful tips on caring for your dog and caring for your cat.   

    And did you know that Lily's Kitchen is giving £10,000 to each of their charity partners during the festive period, namely the  Dogs Trust (Charity Numbers 1167663 & SC053144) and L.I.C.K. (Charity number: 1181426)!   

    Introducing Lily's Kitchen's subscription service!  

    It’s an easy way for you to get regular top ups of your pet’s food!  And it means you spend less time shopping online – you set up your subscription and Lily’s Kitchen take care of the rest.  (You can update, pause or cancel easily, too.)  The Subscription Service gives you 5% off – and free delivery – on all future series.  Lily’s Kitchen will make sure you get any promotion live on the site when you order.  There’s more information on that with the FAQs on Lily’s Kitchen website.

    So how do you get set up for Lily's Kitchen and their subscription service?

    1. Shop online – browse and shop
    2. Add what you want to the basket and choose ‘Order Every’ with how often you want an order e.g. every 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 or 9 weeks
    3. Checkout

     Subscribe to Lily's Kitchen here.

    And - there's 25% off all orders and the free delivery offer ends at 11:45pm on Sunday 06/10/2024. T&Cs apply!

    Head over to Lily's Kitchen to find out more!

     

     

  8.  

    It’s back!  All Creatures Great and Small starts again on the 19th September 2024 at 9pm on Channel 5!

    The veterinary drama is based on the early career of veterinary surgeon, James Herriot, played by Nicholas Ralph.  Herriot’s real name was Alf Wight but he used the pen name of James Herriot.

    Callum Woodhouse will be back as Tristan Farnon, after time away serving in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.  And we meet Helen (Rachel Shenton) and James’ baby, too!   Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) becomes more and more reliant on Richard Carmody, who is played by James Anthony-Rose).

    In Episode 1, To all our boys, vet James Herriot is grounded in the RAF and faces an uncertain future. 

    You can see the first four series on My5, and if you feel like going on a tour of the places featured in All Creatures Great and Small, take a look at Into the Blue – they have an all-day mini coach tour for £75.00!   It sets off from York and you’ll tour filming locations around the Dales that were used in the Channel 5 and BBC series.  

    You'll be touring filming locations around the Dales
    The Dales are just absolutely stunning! 

    Your driver guide will tell you about the show’s characters and the places featured, such as Skeldale House, the pubs used for the outside shots of the fictional Drover’s Arms – even the bus stop where James proposed to Helen!

    Find out about this All Creatures Great and Small Tour
    Find out about this All Creatures Great and Small Tour for £75.00 pp

    There’s also a visit to the ‘World of James Herriot' – the 1940s house has been restored, so that it reflects life as it was when Alf Wight lived there and worked as  a vet – and where he started to write his books! 

    Hive.co.uk has lots of books and gift ideas from the books and series, 

    Enjoy Series 5!

     

  9.  

    Not bought a calendar for 2024 yet? 

    You could also think about these ways to have a more personal calendar for 2025.

    You could go for Getting Personal, where you could choose a calendar and personalise it so that the name of your dog or cat appears in a number of different photos throughout the year.  The photos aren’t of your own cat or dog, but the name of your cat or dog appears in each photo, so adding a personal touch.   

    There's a Cat Lovers calendar you can personalise

    See cat calendars here

      

    There's also a Personalised Photo Calendar - Furry Friends, Dogs

    See the dog calendars here

    You can often choose the month the calendar starts, too, so you don’t have to wait for January and the new year!  And not only that, you can often get them in different sizes and dimensions, such as desk calendars and wall calendars.  There's lots of choice!  With some of the calendars, you can upload your favourite photos of your pet to enjoy throughout the year!

    You can also produce calendars from Printerpix, uploading your photos, and Snapfish, too. 

     

  10. National Marine Week takes place from the 27th July to 11th August 2024.  There’s a LOT happening and you can find out all about what’s on by signing up to the Wildlife Trust’s updates as they organise it.  

    The first thing to do is to sign up for updates from the Wildlife Trust.  You can sign up here.

    Then find your local Wildlife Trust here or conservation charity if you don't live in the UK, to see how you can get involved, even if you live miles from the sea.  There are 46 Trusts around the UK from Alderney in the Channel Islands to Scotland, Cornwall to Norfolk, and North West Wales to Kent.  

    On 22nd June 2024, the Restore Nature Now march in Central London was attended by an estimated 60,000 people and over 350 nature and wildlife organisations.   A key message was that we all need to work together to help wildlife and our natural world.   When I first put this blog about National Marine Week up, it was focusing on the Wildlife Trusts specifically.  However, given the state of the natural world now and the urgency to take better care of it, I've updated and broadened its focus now to cover more charities.  #RestoreNatureNow 

    Destructive mining in Papua New Guinea

    A deep sea mine could rip up ocean floors and dump toxic waste where dolphins and vulnerable whales swim.  Please help Stop the Solwara 1 deep sea mine and give your voice to marine life here.


    Please get political and tell politicians that nature matters! 

    The Wildlife Trusts have lots of information about the General Election and how you can be a voice for our natural world and what you can do now it's over.  We all need to shout loudly for nature!  Nature has no voice, so it’s up to all of us to speak up.   The Wildlife Trusts have information about what they think the Government's priorities should be and Polar Bears International (who have been researching sea ice and polar bears for decades) have help here on how to talk about climate change, and how you can get political.



    10 ways to get involved in National Marine Week

    (You don't need to wait until then!)

    National Marine Week runs from 27th July to the 11th August. It lasts longer than a week, because of the differing tidal conditions around the UK.  There are  celebrations and events around the country, including a Marine Mammal BioBlitz in West Wales, a SeaFest celebration in Cumbria and a Locomation in the Ocean – that’s in Dorset.

    This year, the theme of National Marine Week is 'Sea' the Connection and the week will be highlighting how - as an idland nation - we are all closely connected to the sea.   A healthy marine environment matters and it needs to thrive.  They have a map to show how people connect to the sea, whether it be through livelihoods, hobbies, memories, special experiences - you can add your own connection here!

    Even if you don’t live on the coast, you can connect to the sea by finding out more about the effect pollution is having on them and the wildlife there.  Reduce your plastic use and pick up litter too, so that less plastic and litter heads downstream to the sea - left on the ground, it could get picked up by a passing bird and dropped later into a river and then out to sea. 

    Find the interactive map and a full list of events on The Wildlife Trusts’ website

     

    1.Be a citizen scientist!

    Record your shoreline sightings and help marine and wildlife charities build up a picture of our shorelines and seas.  For example, you can help the Shark Trust learn more about sharks, skates and rays by taking part in their Basking Shark project, the Great Eggcase Hunt project, the Great Shark Snapshot (20th to 28th July 2024, anywhere in the world!) and the Angling Project.  The Marine Conservation Society has a number of projects, too such as Seasearch for divers, the Big Seaweed Search, and the Big Microplastic Survey.  And the Wildlife Trusts have their own Shoresearch and the Scottish Seabird Centre has kindly put a list together of citizen science projects.  Find out how citizen science is saving our seas from the University of Portsmouth



    National Marine Week 2020 - download this shoreline spotting sheet and see what you can see!
    You can download this and print it off, or why not take a photo on your phone to use when you're out and about?


    2.
     Do a beach clean

    The Marine Conservation Society has lots of information about how to do this, and get involved.  The next Great British Beach Clean is from 20th to 29th September 2024.   Why not get your company involved in a Team Beach Clean as an away day and do something really meaningful?

    Take part in the Big Nurdle Hunt.  Nurdles are small plastic pellets which are melted down to make nearly all plastic products and the problem is that thousands of tonnes of them spill straight into the environment worldwide. Visit the website to find out and how you can go hunting for nurdles! 

    3.  Support seagrass projects

    Seagrass play a vital role in keeping oceans healthy and giving thousands of marine species a home, such as the seahorse, the manatee and the sea turtle.  Project Seagrass, based in Wales, have a mission:  A world in which seagrass meadows are thriving, abundant and well managed for people and planet. And there are a number of projects around the UK to help seagrass.   The Marine Conservation Society has more information about seagrass itself and why it matters.

    Find out about the Seahorse Trust and its Studland Bay project and also Save our Seahorses, the Irish branch of the Seahorse Trust. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is working to protect seagrass and you can sponsor a seagrass seed pod for £20 to help them.  Find out more

    4.  Be a sea champion!

    Find out what the Wildlife Trusts are doing to help our seas and our sea life.  For instance, they campaign for parts of the seabed and the sea to be protected from damaging activities.  

    Read about the Wildlife Trusts’ Marine Strategy How can you get involved and be a part of this journey?

    5. Just watch marine life!

    Go to the sea if it's close to you, or a river or canal;  observe and connect to the natural world there and use your senses to really take in the natural world.  If you are unable to leave home, take in videos from You Tube to explore the natural world with, from kayaking in Alderney, to meeting the dolphins of Wales.   Rockpool species, sharks, turtles, seals – just drink in the marine videos.  



    There will be many events taking place organised by the Wildlife Trusts around the UK.  Some of these will be on the coast on the seashore, some on wetlands, and some further away from the sea, but either way, there's plenty going on all over the UK with beach cleans, night time safaris, marine wildlife surveys, dolphin watches and more!   And there are lots of events for families, too so that you can get the kids involved.  Find an event here

    Here's a question for you!  How do you say "I love you" in puffin?
    Find out here!

    6. Find out more about different species and marine life

    The Wildlife Trusts’ website enable you to put the name of a species into a search box and you can learn all about it!  This year the theme is “Sea the Connection", and it will be looking to highlight how - as an island nation - we're connected to the sea and why a healthy, thriving marine environment is really important and makes a difference. 

    This is a great opportunity to find out all about habitats – marine habitats, seagrass, biogenic reefs, deep-water corals, mud, sand and graves, kept beds and forests and rocky reefs.  Float away to them here.


    Dive in and find out more about National Marine Week

    27th July to 11th August 2024

     

    7.  Support campaigns to improve the health of our oceans

    The Marine Conservation Society has a number of different campaigns, such as banning disposable vapes and wet wipes.  And they have campaigns to stop ocean threads and stop pollution.  But there are also campaigns against balloon releases – who knows where they will end up?    Find out about their campaigns here.  

    Take a look at Surfers Against Sewage, tooWater quality, plastic pollution, ocean recovery and the ocean and climate emergency are all challenges they are tackling.  And find out about their Million Mile Clean – they want 100,000 people to take a 10 mile stretch and clean it up on the coast, canals, bridle paths,  towns and cities!   

    8. Use less plastic

    The Wildlife Trusts have lots of help to enable you to use less plastic in all sorts of ways, from the bathroom, to the kitchen and being out and about,  and they also have info about those sneaky plastics you may not have thought of!  Find out more  

    Don't forget that July is Plastic Free Month - a chance for you to reduce the amount of plastic in your life, so it's a good way to do something towards both National Marine Weke and Plastic Free Month at the same time.

    9. Remember our Rivers!

    Take a look at the I’s Save Britain’s Rivers campaign, challenging ALL parties to commit to sign up to a blueprint that will save our rivers.  The article has a number of ways in which you can help our rivers.

    Also, you could take a look at the Rivers Trust who are the umbrella body for the River Trust movement. Their 2023/2024 Impact Report shows that 20,000 volunteers got involved helping local rivers and they have ways in which you can get involved in the #VoteforRivers campaign.  Vote for Rivers at the upcoming General Election

    The Canal and Rivers Trust also has ways in which you can help care for our canal and rivers network to make it easy to #VolunteerByWater  

    10. Support wildlife and marine charities

    Why not adopt an animal and give a Wildlife Trust your support?  There are a number of animals to choose from – seahorse, dolphin, seal, otters, beavers and more!  Funds raised from the adoption schemes goes towards helping local wildlife conservation work – managing nature reserves or creating new habitats.  It all helps, plus adoptions make a great gift for nature lovers! And you could become a member of a Wildlife Trust.  At the very least, you can help them spread the word about their campaigns, the threats facing marine and wildlife and the solutions to help them.  Help them spread the word about their successes, their needs, what actions people can do to make a difference.  Do more than dipping your toe into the water - get stuck in.

    There’s a LOT happening with marine conservation worldwide, and many wonderful people working hard to make it happen, from scientists to indigenous peoples, volunteers, rescue centres taking in injured marine life, campaigners, activists… Have a think about ways in which you can play a role in marine conservation and the elections this year – in whatever country you’re in – are a great place to start standing up for our natural world.  Worldwide, air, sky and sea need our voice, and so do the animals depending on it.  We also depend on it being in a healthy state, so that we can be too.

    Find your local Wildlife Trust here. 


    Find out more about National Marine Week here.

    26th June 2024:  Canada launches C$335 mln fund to support Indigenous-led marine conservation in the Great Bear Sea, home to kelp  forests, whales, fish, corals, seabirds and other species

    24th June 2024:  Governments to meet at UN to discuss first ever “Ocean COP”

    You could also take a look at Seacology, whose mission is "to protect threatened island ecosystems all over the world. We do that by working directly with communities, helping them to preserve their cultures and improve their lives while saving precious island habitats."  Visit their website here.

     

    Green People have reef safe sunscreen for all the family!
    And the Marine Conservation Charity is one of their chosen charities to support!
    Take a look at Green People's reef safe sunscreen here
    Find out more here.