National What Week?

N aturenet has every fact the good environmentalist needs or wants... Calenderand 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. A few are included which, whilst not strictly environmental, might be good themes for events.

Something missing? You know the answer? 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 24-25 January 2009 ? last weekend in January RSPB Birdwatch
World Wetlands Day 2 February 2 February Ramsar
National Bramley Apple Week 3rd -10th February 2008 ? National Bramley Apple Week
National Nest Box Week 14-21 February 14 - 21 February every year BTOPages marked with this symbol are exclusively written for Naturenet 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. National Outdoor Week: not updated since 2005
National Science & Engineering Week 7-16 March 2008 Some time in March every year

The BAAS - 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 4 May 2008 First Sunday 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 5 April - 5 May 2008 ?

National Pet Month.
Used to be National Pet Week. It's grown!

International Compost Awareness Week May 4 - May 10 2008 Yes The Composting Association
National Mills Weekend 10-11 May 2008 Second weekend in May SPAB Mills section
Be Nice to Nettles Week 14 - 25 May 2008 None published Be Nice to Nettles Week; CONE
Scottish Biodiversity Week 19-25 May 2008 ? 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
Low Tide Day 19 May 2007 The Saturday in May with the lowest tide RiverOcean
World Turtle Day 23 May Every year The Humane Society of the United States
Wildlife Week 31 May - 21 June 2008 ? Wildlife Trusts.
That's some week!
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 12 -16 June 2006 Varies. Always in June

Learning through Landscapes. Unclear if this event is still running.

National Badger Day 15 June 2008 Every year on the Sunday closest to June 16 The Badger Trust.
National Bike Week 14-22 June 2008 Varies National Bike Week
National Insect Week
23-29 June 2008
? National Insect Week
Didn't run for a few years - now seems to be back
Great Landscapes Week 19-27 June 2004 ? CPRE. This event does not seem to be supported any longer
Dragonfly Week 16-24 June 2007 Varies British Dragonfly Society
Wales Biodiversity Week 7th - 15th June 2008 ? Biodiversity Wales.
Big Arts Week 19 - 23 June 2006  

Big Arts Week Don't think this happened after 2006. Do my Arts look big in this?

Save our Butterflies Week 21-29 July 2007 ? Butterfly Conservation. Not sure if this is an annual event or not.
National Parks Week Monday 28 July - Sunday 3 August Varies.

Association of National Park Authorities

Don't confuse with identically-named events held in other countries.

National Moth Night 7 June 2006 Varies widely National Moth Night
National Mammal Week 1-9 July 2006 ? The Mammal Society. No 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 27 July 2008 Last Sunday in July Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Event seemingly no longer supported centrally, but date sometimes used still.
Marine Week 2-17 August 2008 ? Wildlife Trusts
National Allotments Week August 11 - 17 2008 Annually since 2005 National Allotment Gardens Trust
European Bat Weekend 25-27 August 2006 ? Bat Conservation Trust
Beachwatch 20-21 September 2008 Annually, third weekend of September Adoptabeach
International Coastal Cleanup 20 September 2008 ? Ocean Conservancy
International Car Free Day 22 September 22 September 22september.org
Red Squirrel Week 4-12 October 2008 ? Red Squirrel Week; Wildlife Trusts
World Habitat Day 6 Oct 2008 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 8-14 October Annually? Project AWARE
Will for Wildlife Week 20-27 October 2008 ? Wildlife Trusts
Seed Gathering Season 23 September - 23 October Annually in autumn The Tree Council; Seed Gathering Season.
Used to be 'Seed Gathering Sunday' but has grown. We think the dates are the same each year but it's not clear.
Apple Day 21 October 21 October every year Common Ground
Feed the Birds Day 18 October 2008 Third Saturday of October RSPB
Make A Difference Day (volunteers day) 25 October 2008 Last Saturday in October CSV 0800 284 533
Youth Work Week 1-7 November 2008 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 26 November - 7 December 2008 Yes The Tree Council 020 7828 9928
National Tree Week
Tree Dressing Day 6-7 December 2008 1st weekend in December Common Ground
International Volunteer Day 5 December 5 December United Nations (UN)
Festival of Winter Walks 26 December 2007 - 2 January 2008 Yes Ramblers

2009 will be the...

Year of Science

Year of Astronomy

International Year of Natural Fibres

2008 is the...

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

2007 is 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

See Also

Count Me In: for dates of just about every week/month/day etc there is, including all the above and many others.
Reuters AlertNet List
UN list of international annual days and weeks, years decades etc