Whilst what many of us refer to as the ‘festive season’ is heavily focussed on the Christian celebration of Christmas, the tradition of celebrations centred on the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year - stretch back over millennia.
After months coping with cold, dark days of winter, the opportunity for major celebration amongst family and friends can lift our spirits as we welcome the prospect of longer, lighter days ahead. Alongside marking the planetary cycle that delivers the seasonal shift between shorter and longer day lengths, many cultures have long traditions of honouring nature at this time of year. So, whilst winter might make you want to hibernate, it’s worth bearing in mind that most of the natural world is still active, with many creatures busier than ever as they seek out food and shelter to keep the cold at bay, and that nature is just as amazing and inspiring as at any other time of year.
Given that our traditional midwinter celebrations are inextricably linked to nature, whether in terms of celebrating the gift of life or hopes for future crops and harvests, the festive season is an ideal time to take stock of the natural world around us. It could also serve as a prompt to discover a little more about some of the species closely associated with Christmas – from robins and partridges (which, by the way, you’re unlikely to find in pear trees!) to mysterious mistletoe. For many of us, though not all, the festive season also provides precious time to get out and about in the countryside or to spend more time in our gardens connecting with nature.
Here at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, we are already gearing up for 12 Days Wild, our festive nature challenge, where we encourage everyone to do one wild thing a day from 25th December to 5th January - traditionally referred to as the '12 Days of Christmas'. We’re suggesting you swap screen time for wild time and connect with nature for 12 days straight. 12 Days Wild is a great motivation to get outside and enjoy nature during the Christmas break or even to give some thought to sustainable lifestyle choices. Connecting with nature can also help tackle feelings of isolation over the break, helping people to connect across our digital platforms over a common activity.
Participation in our festive challenge has grown massively since it was launched back in 2018 when just a few hundred folks took part. Now, thousands join in each year – so why not join them?
With so much winter wildlife waiting to be explored there really is no excuse. Your wild acts could be little things to help nature – such as recycling your Christmas tree or feeding the birds in your garden – a great way to use up excess festive food - or new ways to connect to the natural world, like trying stargazing on a crisp clear frosty night.
To help you make the most of the challenge we’ve created a host of resources and will provide ideas and support along the way. Sign up is free and a great way to freshen up your festive fun. You could take a walk with family or friends to burn off some Christmas calories, or you could make environmentally friendly Christmas decorations from festive wrapping and packaging ready for next year to reduce waste and save money. As it’s the season of goodwill you could even consider leaving presents for nature!
Over the 12 days there will be time to visit a nature reserve or local park when the weather is fine – offering an opportunity to crunch through the leaves on a frosty morning or listen out for birds and other sounds of nature. When the weather is not so kind you can curl up with a nature book or mull over some eco New Year’s resolutions to set yourself up for a wild and sustainable 2026.
When you sign up to take part in 12 Days Wild, you'll receive a digital pack containing everything you need for a wild 12 days and we’ll also send you emails during the challenge, full of activity ideas and wildlife facts.
Whether you take part in 12 Days Wild or not, now is an ideal time to reflect on what it is you love about nature and to make plans or the year ahead – species you want to see, places you want to visit or skills you wish to learn.
Find out more and sign up at www.wildlifetrusts.org/12dayswild
Stay Connected
As well as opportunities to visit our amazing nature reserves across the county, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust hosts events throughout the year too, from welcoming walks to help you connect with nature or discover more about local wildlife to entertaining nature themed talks hosted in the local community. From December and into 2026 we’ll be hosting Wellbeing Walks, Wildlife Talks, Nature Spotting Walks and Wildlife Watch sessions for children as well as hosting gallery events and opportunities to learn
new skills.
Details of all our events across the county plus information about our nature reserves can be found at www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org
Images:
Winter Starlings, David Tipling 2020Vision.
Robin, Jon Ward.
A hard frost can bring a winter landscape to life, Trevor Wigham.
Grey partridge, Margaret Holland.
