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Inspired by the wild: nature-loving celebs in sparkling line-up for The Wildlife Trusts’ Big Wild Weekend on 19th-21st June!

Enjoy all the fun of a summer festival experience – at home – with The Wildlife Trusts’ first virtual Big Wild Weekend from Friday 19th June to Sunday 21st June.

The Wildlife Trusts are hosting a new virtual three-day summer extravaganza – with an impressive line-up of nature-loving celebrities giving their support including: DJ Cel Spellman, musicians such as Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Jack Savoretti and David Gray, wildlife presenter Liz Bonnin and BBC Springwatch’s Gillian Burke, plus environmentalist and actor David Oakes and zoologist Sophie Pavelle.

The Big Wild Weekend is part of The Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild challenge to do something wild every day in June. It looks set to enjoy a huge potential online audience for its selection of artists’ music videos, a live quiz and more, after a record-breaking 650,000 people signed up to take part in 30 Days Wild this year. The weekend comprises:

  • FRIDAY 19TH AT 7PM: WILD EVENING OF MUSIC
  • SATURDAY 20TH ALL EVENING, FROM 7PM: SUMMER SOLSTICE CAMP-OUT
  • SUNDAY 21ST AT 7PM: BIG WILD QUIZ
Big Wild Weekend - music night

FRIDAY 19th JUNE AT 7PM

Popular BBC Radio 1 DJ, Cel Spellman, will be the virtual host, introducing an evening of classic upbeat pop, rock and soulful music inspired by the wild. On Friday night – on YouTube – the acts so far, with more to be announced, include:

Catch a pre-recorded set by singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, including Forever Wild and Murder on the Dancefloor, as she shares her popular lockdown kitchen disco for The Wildlife Trusts.

British singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti, whose songs have been on shows including One Tree Hill, The Vampire Diaries and Grey’s Anatomy, is also set to showcase his music with a film clip at the event.

David Gray showcases his Skomer Live performances made for The Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales. The Babylon singer has written a new song called Running with the waves inspired by childhood holidays on the Welsh island.

Big Wild Weekend - camp-out

SATURDAY 20TH JUNE FROM 7PM

Make like a moth on the Saturday and stay up really late for a wild Camp-out night, hosted on Facebook, timed to coincide with the summer solstice and encourage a special connection with nature.  Thousands of Big Wild Weekenders will join in a huge back garden nature party, supported with fun social media posts on Twitter and Facebook. There’ll be an easy ice cream recipe to keep the festival spirit alive, birdsong at the press of a button, plus The Wildlife Trusts’ beautiful moth identification sheets for those feeling adventurous.  Wild Weekenders are also in with a chance to win a fabulous 5-berth family tent from Cotswold Outdoors*. Get creative with a wild festival camp set-up, or an indoor nature-themed den inspired by nature! Additional prizes from Jordans Cereals and Learning Resources UK.

Big Wild Weekend - quiz

SUNDAY 21ST JUNE AT 7PM

On Sunday it’s the Wild Quiz via Facebook Live, hosted by actor and environmentalist David Oakes and zoologist and The Wildlife Trusts’ ambassador Sophie Pavelle. Special guests will pose science and natural history questions – they include environmental broadcaster Liz Bonnin and BBC Springwatch presenter Gillian Burke.

For the full weekend programme and to get involved visit: www.wildlifetrusts.org/big-wild-weekend. Join in on social media with #30DaysWild. Follow @WildlifeTrusts on Twitter and Instagram. The evening of music will be premiered on YouTube, while the Camp-out and Quiz will be hosted over on Facebook. 

Leanne Manchester, digital and content manager for The Wildlife Trusts, says:

“The Big Wild Weekend invites thousands of our supporters, volunteers and newfound friends to pitch a tent in their back garden – or create a fun nature-themed den indoors – and enjoy dazzling music performances, fun quizzes, nature themed-treats, wild activities and more. Music, camping and nature are a traditional part of many UK families’ summer plans. So this year we’re offering a wild weekend with a festival theme – a virtual holiday at home – and everyone’s invited.

 “We’re delighted that so many amazing musicians and other celebrities with a passion for nature and wildlife want to get involved with The Big Wild Weekend and support The Wildlife Trusts with their talent and voices. The line-up is still being added to and we’re hoping this free online event will remind everyone how much we’ve valued nature during lockdown and how vital The Wildlife Trusts are in protecting and restoring the natural world. As with many charities, The Wildlife Trusts are facing huge financial pressure due to coronavirus and our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone involved in supporting us.”  

About 30 Days Wild from The Wildlife Trusts

Over a million people have taken part in 30 Days Wild from The Wildlife Trusts since it started in 2015. It’s the annual nature challenge where everyone is asked to try one simple activity to connect to nature every day in June. The number of people participating in 30 Days Wild has grown to 650,000 in 2020.  Many people now look forward to taking part in 30 Days Wild every year – we have serial 30 Days Wild groupies! Dare to be wild! News release in full here.

30 Days Wild – a five-year review was published in May and can be downloaded here. Academics from the University of Derby analysed more than 1,000 people taking part in 30 Days Wild from The Wildlife Trusts, over its five years, and measured significant improvements including health, wellbeing and happiness form taking part. 

The Big Wild Weekend is usually a highlight of 30 Days Wild in June and sees Wildlife Trusts across the UK organising community nature festivals, education and wildlife spotting events, sometimes with music and other entertainment at larger visitor centres. These outdoor events often provide much-needed income for the charities and will not happen this year- due to coronavirus restrictions many visitor centres are closed. For the full weekend programme and to get involved visit: www.wildlifetrusts.org/big-wild-weekend . Join in on social media with #30DaysWild. Follow @WildlifeTrusts on Twitter and Instagram. Join the 30 Days Wild Facebook group and find us on www.youtube.com/thewildlifetrusts too. 

This year’s Big Wild Weekend main events will be premiered on the 30 Days Wild Facebook group and on YouTube.

It’s not too late to sign-up, download the inspiration and get ready to share your daily #30DaysWild now! www.wildlifetrusts.org/30DaysWild

About the Big Wild Weekend supporters 

Liz Bonnin from BAFTA awarded BBC Big Blue Live, RTS and Grierson awarded Drowning in Plastic, Galapagos and Super Smart Animals is a biochemistry graduate with a Masters in Wild Animal Biology and Conservation. She has presented a wide range of programmes including the BBC's Bang Goes the Theory, Operation Snow Tiger and Super Smart Animals.
Gillian Burke is a natural history television programme producer and voiceover artist. She has presented BBC Springwatch  since 2017.
BBC Radio 1 DJ and actor Cel Spellman is best known for his role in ITV drama Cold Feet and BBC 1 school drama Waterloo Road. He presents his music show on BBC Radio 1 on Sundays.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a singer, songwriter and model who first made headlines in the 1990s. Her solo album Read my lips, was released in 2001 and went double platinum.
Jack Savoretti is a solo acoustic singer and has released six studio albums to date. Singing to strangers reached No.1 on the UK album charts.
David Gray released his first album in 1993 and received worldwide acclaim for his album White Ladder six years later.
David Oakes is an actor and environmentalist best known for The Pillars of the Earth, The Borgias and Victoria. He has his own podcast Trees a Crowd.
Sophie Pavelle is a science communicator, adventurer and zoologist, hugely popular on social media and one of The Wildlife Trusts’ new ambassadors. 

Competition

Cotswold Outdoor has kindly donated a prize for the Big Wild Weekend, a Vango Hudson 500XL, 5-berth tent. *T&Cs The prize is non-transferable and no cash or credit alternative will be available for the prize on offer. In the event that the prize offered is unavailable, due to circumstances beyond our control, we reserve the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value. Full terms and conditions on The Wildlife Trusts website. 

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