June is a wonderful time to get outside and enjoy the magic of nature with your family. From bright blooming gardens to lively wildlife and special events, there’s plenty to inspire curiosity and create lasting memories for all ages. Whether you’re exploring your local park, gardening at home, or joining community activities, June offers a fresh chance to connect with the natural world around us.

Nature in June: What to See and Hear

Gardens and Woodlands in Full Bloom

June bursts with colour! Gardens are alive with roses, peonies, lavender, and the fragrant sweet scent of honeysuckle, especially in the evenings. Elder flowers attract buzzing hoverflies, while wild garlic carpets woodland floors with its fresh green leaves and white blossoms.

Deer and Their Adorable Fawns

June is the season to spot deer with their new-born spotted fawns, often grazing quietly in meadows or at the edge of woodlands. Keep a respectful distance to enjoy these gentle animals without disturbing them.

Birdlife in Action

If you love birdwatching, June is a delight. Look out for fledglings learning to fly and their parents bringing food. Starlings, house sparrows, robins, and blackbirds are busy teaching their young how to navigate the garden and find snacks.

Swallows, house martins, and sand martins are back for the summer, busily rebuilding nests with mud after rain showers to welcome their chicks. It’s also cuckoo season,  a fascinating time as cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests!

Hedgehogs Are on the Move

June and July see baby hedgehogs, called hoglets, born and exploring gardens. Hedgehogs love a little help from us, leaving out meat-based wet cat or dog food and fresh water can make a big difference. Avoid giving them milk or cheese, which can harm them. For more ways to help, visit the British Hedgehog Preservation Society at britishhedgehogs.org.uk.

Insect Symphony

Hear the cheerful chorus of grasshoppers and crickets filling the countryside. Watch for colourful beetles, busy bees, dragonflies, and damselflies darting near ponds and wildflowers, these are both wonderful mosquito eaters and important indicators of healthy freshwater ecosystems. Why not make a simple bug hotel in your garden to welcome these helpful little visitors?

Tiny Toadlets Take Their First Steps

Tiny baby toads and frogs, just the size of your fingertip, are hopping out of ponds and streams this month, beginning their life on dry land. If you’re walking near damp grass, take care to watch where you step — you might be walking through a toadlet trail!

Evening Visitors: Bats and Their Pups

Bat pups are born in June, so you may spot bats swooping around ponds or woodlands at dusk, busy catching insects to feed their young.

Celestial Highlights for Starry-Eyed Families

Celebrate the Summer Solstice — Longest Day of the Year!

On Thursday 20th June, the UK welcomes the Summer Solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year. It’s a perfect time for evening walks or picnics that stretch into sunset.

You can watch live streams of sunrise and sunset on the official English Heritage YouTube channel, bringing ancient traditions right to your screen.

Stargazing Magic

With clearer skies, June is a great month to spot constellations like Lyra and the bright star Vega. Find a dark spot away from city lights, and after 15 minutes your eyes might even catch a glimpse of the Milky Way stretching across the sky!

Garden Fun for All Ages

Easy Gardening Activities

  • Compost Care: Turn and mix your compost bins to help nature work faster.

  • Nesting Alert: Check hedges and shrubs before trimming to avoid disturbing bird nests.

  • Houseplants Outdoors: Give your indoor plants a summer holiday outside in a sheltered spot, but watch out for strong sun that might scorch their leaves.

  • Bug Hotel: Collect twigs, pine cones, and straw to build a cosy home for helpful insects.

  • Bee-Friendly Flowers: Plant lavender, foxglove, or borage to attract pollinators.

  • Butterfly Feeder: Make a simple dish with sugar water or fruit to invite butterflies to your garden.

  • Bird Bath: A shallow water dish can help thirsty birds cool off on warm days.

  • Grow Your Own Herbs: Basil, mint, and rosemary are easy, useful, and great for wildlife visitors.

  • Slug Patrol: Use natural methods like barriers or traps to protect plants without harming other creatures.

🐝 Creature Feature 🐝 Hornets: Meet the Garden’s Big Wasps

Hornets might look a little scary, but they’re fascinating insects playing important roles in nature. This June, as you explore your garden or local parks, you might spot these large wasps buzzing around. Here’s what every family in the UK should know about hornets — how to identify them, what they do, and how we can protect our environment from invasive species.

European Hornets: The Gentle Giant of the Garden

The European hornet (Vespa crabro) is the largest native hornet in the UK. Measuring up to 3 cm long, they’re much bigger than regular wasps and have a distinctive yellowish-brown body with black stripes and pale cream heads.

You’ll often find their large, paper-like nests tucked away in hollow trees, roof spaces, or sheds. These nests look like grey, layered balls made from chewed wood fibres. European hornets are mostly shy and busy hunting other garden insects — they’re natural pest controllers! They only sting if provoked or if their nest is threatened.

What About African Hornets?

African hornets, such as Vespa tropica, are mostly found in warmer regions like Africa and parts of Asia. They are rarely seen in the UK and tend to have darker, more vivid colouring — often black with bright yellow or orange patterns. Some have striking reddish heads.

Unlike their European cousins, African hornets can be more aggressive, especially around their nests. In their native lands, they are known to prey heavily on honeybees, causing problems for beekeepers.

If you ever see a hornet in the UK that looks very different or more brightly coloured than usual, it’s a good idea to report it to local wildlife authorities.

June Events and Challenges to Join

30 Days Wild — Nature in June

Join The Wildlife Trusts’ “30 Days Wild” challenge by doing something nature-related every day. From spotting birds to making nature crafts or going on mini-adventures, it’s perfect for families wanting to explore outdoors together. Find ideas and track your progress at wildlifetrusts.org/30-days-wild.

World Environment Day — Wednesday 5th June

Celebrate by joining local clean-ups, planting trees, or learning about sustainable living. Share your eco-adventures with #GenerationRestoration and remind your family that every little action helps our planet thrive. More info at worldenvironmentday.global. This year’s World Environment Day comes exactly two months before countries meet again to continue negotiating a global treaty to end plastic pollution.

World Oceans Day — Saturday 8th June

Explore ways to protect our oceans with your family, from beach clean-ups to learning about marine life. Healthy oceans mean a healthy planet! Visit worldoceansday.org for ideas on how to take action.

✨ The fully illustrated book of Lost on Infinity is OUT NOW! ✨

Available to buy in our shop and on Amazon. It includes free QR Code links to our award-winning audiobook, songs, and sound effects, so you can listen and read-along together.

Tune In and Explore More with Rockford’s Rock Opera

Looking for stories and songs that bring the natural world to life? Join us on the “Stories, Science, and Secrets” podcast where we explore amazing examples of biomimicry and nature’s clever solutions to big problems.

Plus, download FREE lesson plans and slides on extinction, biomimicry, and more — perfect for families and educators who want to turn nature walks into learning adventures.

June is here, and nature is calling — get outside, explore, and make unforgettable family memories!