Do you remember climbing trees, kayaking down rivers, riding your bike all day? Ask anyone over 30 for their fondest childhood memories and most will talk about outdoor adventure.
But now most of us can’t find the time to fit adventure into our over-busy modern lives. And what will the kids of today have to remember, now that the proportion of children regularly playing in wild places has fallen from over half to under 1 in 10 since the 1980s?
On 16th July Britain will celebrate its first national day of adventure: ‘Wild Night Out’. And everyone’s invited.
There’s a wealth of scientific studies suggesting that nature and challenge aka ‘adventure’ is good for your mind and body. It makes you happier, healthier – there’s even evidence that it makes you more generous, yes spending time outdoors makes you a nicer person – so what’s not to like?
For those of us who’ve been lucky enough to spend time on adventures we’ll know first-hand how the outdoors makes us happy. Personally I’ve spent 20yrs taking groups into the wilderness and I’ve seen it literally change people’s lives for the better again and again.
But we’re loosing touch with the most natural source of wellbeing in the world and that’s why I’m keen to support an adventure revolution. For me it started with establishing Explorers Connect, but Wild Night Out fills an essential function I felt was always missing - assisting the next generation too.
I hope a step in the right direction is to start a national day for adventure. Wild Night Out is designed to inspire everyone to get outdoors, to raise awareness and to raise funds to help disadvantaged kids do the same. Its easy to get involved, whether you camp in your garden with the kids, hike up a mountain with some mates or try a new outdoors activity. Ideas of how you can get involved are on the website here Wild Night Out It is supported by Britain’s greatest living adventurer himself Sir Ranulph Fiennes
So whether you want to make a difference to the fact that more children can now identify a Dalek than an owl or you want to reconnect with nature and get a dose of outdoors happiness I hope you will join us for a #wildnightout