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	26-27 January 2013	? last weekend in January	RSPB Birdwatch
World Wetlands Day	2 February	2 February	Ramsar
National Bramley Apple Week	3-9 February 2013	?	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
National Science & Engineering Week	15–24 March 2013	Some time in March every year	The BSA - used to be National Science Week
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	6 May 2012	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 - 6 May 2013	?	National Pet Month. Used to be National Pet Week. It's grown!
National Beanpole Week	21-29 April 2012	Annually since 2008	Small Woods Association - http://www.beanpoles.org.uk/
International Compost Awareness Week	6 May - 12 May, 2013	Yes	The Association for Organics Recycling although it's not clear if they are still supporting this event in the UK
Low Tide Day or LowTide	14 May 2011	The Saturday in May with the lowest tide	RiverOcean Website not fully updated since 2008, but date not centrally fixed anyway.
National Mills Weekend	Sat 11 - Sun 12 May 2013	Second weekend in May	SPAB Mills section
National Moth Night	8 - 10 August 2013	Varies widely	National Moth Night (actually more than one night now)
Be Nice to Nettles Week	16 - 27 May 2012	Late May each year	Be Nice to Nettles Week; CONE
Scottish Biodiversity Week	19-27 May 2013	?	SNH
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	9-17 June 2012	Varies	British Dragonfly Society
Wildlife Week	19 - 25 Mar 2012	Varies	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
National School Grounds Week	18th – 22nd June 2012	Varies. Always in June	Learning through Landscapes.
National Bike Week	15-23 June 2013	Annually, varies	National Bike Week
Garden Moths Count	2007-2009		Butterfly Conservation. Project now over.
National Insect Week	25 June to 1 July 2012	Every two years, varies.	National Insect Week Run by the Royal Entomological Society since 2004
Wales Biodiversity Week	8th- 16th June 2013	Annually, varies	Biodiversity Wales.
Save Our Butterflies Week	19-27 May 2012	Annually, varies	Butterfly Conservation.
Big Arts Week	19 - 23 June 2006		Big Arts Week Don't think this happened after 2006. Do my Arts look big in this?
The Big Butterfly Count	14 July - 5 August 2012	?	Butterfly Conservation.
National Parks Week	July 29 to August 4 2013	Varies.	Association of National Park Authorities Don't confuse with identically-named events held in other countries.
National Mammal Week	1-9 July 2006	?	The Mammal Society. No current info on the week on this website.
Enjoy Your Local Nature Reserve Week	14-25 July 2004	?	Enjoy your Local Nature Reserve. No sign of an undate since 2005
International Bog Day	29 July, 2012	Last Sunday in July	Scottish Wildlife Trust. Event seemingly no longer supported centrally, but date sometimes used still.
World Ranger Day	31 July	Every year	International Ranger Federation
National Marine Week	28th July -12th August 2012	?	Wildlife Trusts
National Allotments Week	5-11 August 2013	Annually since 2005	National Allotment Gardens Trust
European Bat Weekend	25-26 August 2012	Last weekend of August each year	Bat Conservation Trust; Bat Weekend
Beachwatch	15-16 September 2012	Annually, third weekend of September	Marine Conservation Society
International Coastal Cleanup	21 September 2013	In September	Ocean Conservancy
International Car Free Day	22 September	22 September	22september.org
National Badger Day	6 October 2012	First Saturday in October every year	The Badger Trust.
Red Squirrel Week	2-9 October 2012	?	Red Squirrel Week; Wildlife Trusts
World Habitat Day	7 October 2013	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?	The Shark Alliance
Will for Wildlife Week	15-21 October 2012	?	Wildlife Trusts
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	27-28 October 2012	Last weekend of October	RSPB (yes, it's a weekend, but it's called a day)
Make A Difference Day (volunteers day)	27 October 2012	Last Saturday in October	CSV 0800 284 533
Youth Work Week	5th -11th November 2012	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	24 November - 2 December 2012	Yes	The Tree Council 020 7828 9928 National Tree Week
Tree Dressing Day	5-6 December 2008	1st weekend in December	Common Ground
International Volunteer Day	5 December	5 December	United Nations (UN)
Festival of Winter Walks	26 December 2008 - 4 January 2009	Yes	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