Naturenet: National What Week?

National What Week?

N aturenet has every fact the good environmentalist needs or wants... Calender and this is the one page you've been asking for for years. An incomplete guide to the national and international days and dates in the wildlife and living environment calendar, which might stimulate some idea for events you can run yourself in support.. A few are included which, whilst not strictly environmental, might be good themes for events. We don't list events that are location-based, as the idea is that these are events that others can join in with.

Something missing? You know the details? Tell us here.

We include a few days which seem to have reached the end of their natural lives - but there's always room to revive them so the most recent information is still given. Where only the last year's date is shown it may be that the next date is not announced yet - or we haven't noticed it. Some of the dates only get set quite late in the year, so check the link in the right-hand column if there is one. It might be helpful - but some of these websites don't make it easy for you!

Event	Next date/last known date	Every year?	Contact/Link
Big Garden Bird Watch	28 - 30 January 2017	? last weekend in January	RSPB Birdwatch
World Wetlands Day	2 February	2 February	Ramsar
National Bramley Apple Week	6–12 February 2017	?	National Bramley Apple Week
National Nest Box Week	14-21 February	14 - 21 February every year	BTO or Birdcare
Biodiversity Month	March	March every year	Going for Green. Now apparently defunct
National Outdoor Week	12-20 March	Same date every year, we think.	Countryside Agency initiative, not updated since 2005, probably no longer supported
World Day for Water	22 March	22 March every year	UNESCO
World Meteorological Day	23 March	23 March	United Nations (UN)
International Dawn Chorus Day	7 May 2017	First weekend in May	Wildlife Trusts; IDCD website
Walk in the Woods	May	Yes - every May	The Tree Council. Tel:020 7828 9928 Walk in the Woods
National Pet Month	1 April - 1 May 2017	?	National Pet Month. Used to be National Pet Week. It's grown!
National Beanpole Week	9-17 April 2016	Annually since 2008	Small Woods Association - http://www.beanpoles.org.uk/
International Compost Awareness Week	May 7-13, 2017	Yes	Supported by various composting organisations
World Fish Migration Day	April 21, 2018	Appears to be biennial	Fish Ecology Network
National Mills Weekend	13-14 May 2017	Second weekend in May	SPAB Mills section
National Moth Night	12 - 14 October 2017	Varies widely	National Moth Night (actually more than one night now)
Be Nice to Nettles Week	14 - 25 May 2014	Late May each year	Be Nice to Nettles Week; CONE
Scotland's Nature Festival	2016	"Scotland's Nature Festival is taking a break in 2017"	SNH - event used to be Scottish Biodiversity Week.
International Day for Biological Diversity	22 May	22 May (formerly 29 December)	United Nations (UN)
European Day of Parks	24 May	24 May every year	EUROPARC
World Turtle Day	23 May	Every year	The Humane Society of the United States
Dragonfly Week	23-31 July 2016	Varies	British Dragonfly Society
Wildlife Week	?	Not sure this is still a thing.	Wildlife Trusts.
Volunteers Week	1-7 June	1-7 June every year	Volunteers Week
World Environment Day	5 June	5 June every year	United Nations (UN)
World Oceans Day	8 June	8 June every year	BMLSS
International School Grounds Month	May	Every May	International School Grounds Alliance Incorporates National School Grounds Week from Learning through Landscapes.
National Insect Week	20 June to 26 June 2016	Every two years, varies.	National Insect Week Run by the Royal Entomological Society since 2004
Wales Biodiversity Week	3th- 11 June 2017	Annually, around first week of June	Biodiversity Wales.
International Mud Day	29 June	Annually, we think it's always the same day	World Forum
The Big Butterfly Count	14 July -6 August 2017	Yes	Butterfly Conservation. Supesedes the now defunct Save Our Butterflies Week
National Parks Week	24 - 30 July 2017	Varies.	Association of National Park Authorities Don't confuse with identically-named events held in other countries.
National Mammal Week	21-29 October 2017	?	The Mammal Society.
Enjoy Your Local Nature Reserve Week	14-25 July 2004	?	Enjoy your Local Nature Reserve. No sign of an update since 2005
International Bog Day	27 July, 2014	4th Sunday in July	Scottish Wildlife Trust. Event seemingly no longer supported centrally, but date used by various bodies still.
World Ranger Day	31 July	Every year	International Ranger Federation
National Marine Week	23 Jul - 7 Aug 2016	Varies	Wildlife Trusts
National Allotments Week	14 to 20 August 2017	Annually since 2005	National Allotment Gardens Trust
International Bat Weekend	27-28 August 2016	Last weekend of August each year	Bat Conservation Trust
Great British Beachclean	15-18 September 2017	Annually, third weekend of September	Marine Conservation Society, event was formerly Beachwatrch
International Coastal Cleanup	17 September 2017	In September	Ocean Conservancy. This event is part of Great British Beachclean in the UK.
International Car Free Day	22 September	22 September	22september.org
National Badger Day	4 October 2014	First Saturday in October every year	The Badger Trust.
Red Squirrel Week	24 Sept – 2 Oct 2017	Yes	Red Squirrel Week; Wildlife Trusts
World Habitat Day		1st Monday in October	UN. Although it sounds like biodiversity, is about human housing and shelter. Thought we'd better include it though.
European Shark Week	15th to 23rd October 2011	Annually from 2007-2011. Now finished.	The Shark Alliance. Event now finished.
Will for Wildlife Week	October?	?	Wildlife Trusts - varies by local trust
Seed Gathering Season	23 September - 23 October every year	Annually	The Tree Council; Seed Gathering Season. Used to be 'Seed Gathering Sunday' but has grown. We think the dates are the same each year.
Apple Day	21 October	21 October every year	Common Ground
Feed the Birds Day	28-29 October 2017	Last weekend of October	RSPB (yes, it's a weekend, but it's called a day)
Make A Difference Day (volunteers day)	28 October 2017	Last Saturday in October	CSV 0800 284 533
Youth Work Week	6– 12 November 2017	1st week in November	The National Youth Agency
International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict	6 November	6 November every year	United Nations (UN)
National Tree Week	25 Nov - 3 Dec 2017	Yes	The Tree Council 020 7828 9928 National Tree Week
Tree Dressing Day	2-3 December 2017	1st full weekend in December	Common Ground
International Volunteer Day	5 December	5 December	United Nations (UN)
Festival of Winter Walks	17 Dec 2016 - 8 Jan 2017	Over the Christmas-New Year period every year	Ramblers

2010 is the...

International Year of Biodiversity

2009 was the...

Year of Science

Year of Astronomy

International Year of Natural Fibres

2008 was the...

International Year of Planet Earth
International Year of the Reef
and, perhaps more importantly: International Year of the Potato

2007 was the...

Year of the Dolphin
International Polar Year

2006 was the...

The International Year of Deserts and Desertification
Year of the Outback

2005 was the...

International Year for Sport and Physical Education
Year of the Volunteer

2004 was the...

We couldn't find anything for 2004 to be the year of, except the CAMRA 'Year of Beer with Food'. That wasn't too bad.
International Year to commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition
Oh, and the International Year of Rice. But we don't really care about that as much as we do beer.

2003 was the...

International Year of Freshwater 2003

2002 was the...

International Year of Reviewing Ecotourism
and International Year of Ecotourism
International Year of Culture Heritage 2002
International Year of Mountains 2002