Nature connection urged by Shropshire festival

People in Shropshire are being urged to visit fields and farms during the Shropshire Love Nature Festival

People in Shropshire are being urged to get closer to nature by organisers of a festival.

The Shropshire Love Nature Festival hosted 70 events in 2022 and will return for three weeks from 17 July.

Paul Newman, one of the organisers, said it was about making nature more accessible and to "find new green spaces to enjoy".

The event comes after a BBC campaign in June which wants people to connect with nature.

In Shropshire, people will be asked during the festival to visit market gardens, orchards, farms and improve their health through the connection, Mr Newman added.

"Sometimes we can pass things by and not see what is around you, under your feet or over a hedge," he said.

"We're surrounded by lovely rural fields, farms and green spaces but they're not always obviously accessible to people."

Litter picks are one way people can connect with nature, the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust said

The local radio and regional television initiative, Get Into Nature, has been inspired by BBC Wild Isles and the Wildlife Trust's 30 Days Wild project.

The trust's campaign is thought to be the country's biggest nature challenge and James Benwell, from the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, said they want to boost local nature.

According to the Wildlife Trusts, 80% of hedgerows have been lost in the UK in the last century and some 118,000 miles have disappeared since 1950.

"It's so important that we all play our part in helping to reverse the decline in nature we've experienced over the past few decades," Mr Benwell said.

The BBC's campaign will see local radio and regional television teams broadcasting from wild spaces in communities and sharing stories from people who regularly connect with nature.

You can get lots of ideas and tips on how to spot wildlife and enjoy your surroundings here.