It's no secret that our natural world is in trouble. With wildlife disappearing at an alarming rate, we live in a time of emergency however there is still hope. As part of our 30 by 30 campaign launching later this month, we are calling on everyone to be part of the solution as we stand up collectively for nature and take action together.

The 30ks Wilder challenge follows on from our annual 30 Days Wild challenge where we ask people to do a random act of wildness every day throughout the month of June. These random acts of wildness can be anything from listening to birdsong to planting wildflower seeds with exercising outdoors coming in as one of the top favourites. 

A five-year review was conducted of 30 Days Wild and shows that taking part in the challenge significantly increases people’s wellbeing and heightened sense of nature. The review shows the challenge increases participants health, happiness and nature-connectedness so we decided to create 30ks Wilder to follow on from 30 Days Wild and help people continue the positive journey they had begun. 

30ks Wilder asks people to take on 30 kilometers in nature within 30 days and raise a minimum of £30 for Avon's wildlife however what the challenge looks like is completely up to the participant. Our slogan of 'Your challenge, your way' is important to us as it's about ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for everyone. 

So far, 67 incredible people have signed up to take on the challenge in their own way and everyone who has started fundraising so far has set their target at a minimum of £50. The participants are taking on the challenge by:

• Walking or running 1k a day for 30 days
• Walking, running or cycling 30km in one day
• Running 30k each week over September

Check out their fundraising pages to see what they're doing individually: fundraising.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/campaign/30ks-wilder

But you can even read 30,000 pages of nature books or perhaps pick up 30 pieces of litter each week over the course of September if you wanted to. The challenge is about connecting with nature and raising money for Avon's wildlife which is so desperately in need of recovery.

We are hoping to raise at least £3,000 through the challenge with over £1,000 raised so far and September has only just begun! We asked a few participants why they were taking on 30ks Wilder this September, you can check out their responses below. If they inspire you to get involved then there's still time to sign up. Join the challenge today and together we can create a wilder future.

For more information and to sign up please visit: avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/30ks-wilder

Lastly and most importantly, we want to thank all our participants for getting involved, challenging themselves and taking a stand for local wildlife. We truly couldn't put nature into recovery without you so thank you.