Top ten hashtags for a wild time on Twitter

Engaging with other wildlife enthusiasts is a must when it comes to living more wildly. If you want help with identifying a species, or suggestions of where to spot something, the wild community is on hand with many knowledgeable people happy to share their expertise.

Social media brings together wildlife communities from all over the world making a wildlife super-community, or the “digital wild”! There are many benefits to being part of this community, such as:

• Having a place to share your wildlife photos and stories, and where others can share theirs with you
• Getting ideas for wild activities, both suggested by others and inspired by what they have done and shared
• Having access to world leading experts
• Hearing about wild events taking place, both physical and virtual
• Having the opportunity to contribute to current scientific research
• Being able to interact with the community 24/7

My preferred platform for participating in the digital wild is Twitter. I don’t like spending a lot of time on devices so the ability to engage by writing a quick sentence or two and adding a photo is very appealing. For the same reason,  digesting content from others in bite-sized chunks works well for me. I can flick through a number of tweets whenever I have a spare couple of minutes compared with the half-hour or so commitment required for reading something like an ebulletin.

If you are keen on engaging more with the digital wild, here are my top ten nature-themed hashtags that are worth a follow.

1. #VitaminN (and #VitaminNature)

Use:  During lockdown, a group of nature and wellbeing organisations have teamed up under these hashtags to share tips and activities for getting some nature into your day, aka ‘your daily dose of Vitamin N’. Some examples of things you might find with #VitamnN are activities for children, links to nature-themed articles, or suggestions of things to notice when looking out of your window or out on a walk. You can also share photos of wild activities you have been up to under these hashtags.

Created by: @Natures_Voice, @NFFNUK, @MHC_UK, @WildlifeTrusts, @JordansCereals, @The_RHS, @TheCCoalition, @WildernessUK, @wwf_uk, @nationaltrust

Additional channels:
Facebook –  RSPB, Nature Friendly Farming Network, Mental Health Collective, The Wildlife Trusts, Jordans Cereals, RHS – Royal Horticultural Society, The Climate Coalition, WWF UK, National Trust and Wilderness Foundation UK

2. #30DaysWild

Use: This is my absolute favourite hashtag! Every year in June the Wildlife Trusts run a ’30 Days Wild’ challenge, which involves  carrying out a ‘Random Act of Wildness’ every day that month. Examples of activities could be things like making a bee hotel, walking in a forest or looking for shapes in the clouds.  You can already sign up for this year’s challenge and when you do you will receive a pack containing suggestions of things you can do and a wall planner to plan out your activities. It also often contains other bits and pieces like stickers and wildflower seeds to plant. The Wildlife Trusts then encourage you to share updates and photos of the activities you have been up to using #30DaysWild. The reason this is my favourite hashtag is because thinking every day for 30 days about ways you can interact with the wild starts to build a habit of noticing the wildlife around you in your daily life that sticks with you well beyond the 30 days.

Created by: @WildlifeTrusts

Additional channels:
Twitter – @30DaysWild
Facebook – 30 Days Wild

3. #365DaysWild

Use:  The aim of this hashtag is to encourage you do something wild every day of the year. If you love 30 Days Wild and want to take it to the next level, you can attempt to do something wild every day for a year.  However you don’t need to make that level of commitment to get involved in this hashtag – if it’s a day in the year and you’ve done something wild, share it using #365DaysWild.

Created by: @365DaysWild

Additional channels:
Website – 365dayswild.org
Facebook – @HowToStayWild

4. #WildflowerHour

Use: Wildflower hour takes place between 8 and 9pm ever Sunday (UK time) and sees all sorts of plant enthusiasts sharing photos of wildflowers they have taken throughout the week. As well as showing off your own photos at this hashtag, it is a great place to ask for help with identification.

Created by: @wildflower_hour

Additional channels:
Facebook – @thewildflowerhour

5. #BreakfastBirdwatch

Use: Breakfast birdwatch was set up as a result of lockdown to help people birdwatch from home. It takes place between 8 and 9am every weekday and RSPB experts will be on hand to help with any of your bird related queries. This is a great opportunity to increase your bird identification repertoire.

Created by: RSPB @Natures_Voice

Additional channels:
Facebook – @RSPBLoveNature

6. #WildMorningsWithChris

Use: Chris Packham is live on Twitter between 9 and 10am on weekday mornings for wildlife conversations with the @SIBirdClub (Self-Isolating Bird Club). This is also broadcast live on Facebook @ChrisGPackham and previous broadcasts can be found on Chris’s website.

Created by: @ChrisGPackham

Additional channels:
Facebook – @ChrisGPackham, @sibirdclub
Website – chrispackham.co.uk

7. #WildlifeFromMyWindow

Use: Springwatch will be back on our TVs from 26th May to 12th June. You can share photos and videos taken through your windows using this hashtag on Twitter for a chance to feature. If you are currently shielding or self-isolating and your only access to the wild is through your window this is a fantastic hashtag to get involved with.

Created by: @BBCSpringwatch

Additional channels:
Facebook – @BBCSpringwatch
Website – bbc.co.uk

8. #NatureDrawingClub

Use: This is another hashtag created to help us keep enjoying nature through lockdown and to get us looking at it more closely. Each Friday afternoon the Natural History Museum announce a topic for the week and your job is to draw, paint, sculpt or otherwise create an artwork of that theme. Post your creations on Twitter using this hashtag and admire the artistic interpretations shared by other people of all ages, skill levels and using a whole range of different media.

Created by: @NHM_London

Additional channels:
Facebook – @naturalhistorymuseum
Website – nhm.ac.uk

9. #ButterflyCount

Use: Every year in July and August the big butterfly count takes place across the UK. Anyone can take part by simply picking a spot to watch for 15 minutes, noting down the butterflies you see, and submitting your results. Results can be submitted either by downloading the app, or by going to the website. Throughout the count, and in fact throughout the whole butterfly season, you can use this hashtag to share your photos of butterflies and ask for help with identification. If you plan on doing the count it is worth checking out this hashtag now to help you get up to speed on your butterfly identification in readiness.

If you take part in and enjoy this count, and want to make more contributions to citizen science, have a look at my page on surveys and sightings.

Created by: Butterfly Conservation @savebutterflies

Additional channels:
App – Android and iOS
Website – bigbutterflycount.org

10. #WildTimeChallenge

Use: The wild network aims to bring more wildness back to childhood, and to help continue this in lockdown they have been setting four wild challenges to be completed each week. These could be things like crafts, watching wild documentaries or looking out for certain items while on your exercise walk. Use this hashtag to share photos and stories of your kids (or you) completing these challenges. Having myself grown up in the era of climbing trees, building dens in hedgerows and clambering over hay bales I think this is a really valuable initiative for kids who don’t get that opportunity.

Created by: The Wild Network @wearewildthing

Additional channels:
Facebook – @thewildnetwork
Website – thewildnetwork.com

As well as these hashtags there are also countless others that Twitter users may you use when tagging their wildlife and nature posts. Some examples of these are #StayWild, #TwitterNatureCommunity  and #NatureTherapy.

I hope you enjoy checking out these hashtags on Twitter; taking part in some of the activities; sharing your photos and experiences; and most of all getting your daily dose of vitamin N.