Project: WILD C.I.C.

🌳Nature-focused sessions for men or people who identify as men, who are 18+ and live in North Yorkshire, and experience either diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health conditions, including stress. 🌿Relaxed, whole-day, friendly sessions in nature. 🌱95% of men said they felt mentally healthier after attending a Bushcraft wellbeing session with Project: WILD in 2025! 🔥Sessions may include foraging, firewood gathering, fire lighting, campfire cooking, shelter building, archery tournaments, mindful activities, nature walks…and more ! 🌲Common Ground by Project: WILD C.I.C. is one of 23 new men’s mental health projects, supported by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and funded by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. 🍀Sign up link in bio or email: [email protected]. 🌿Once a place is confirmed, we ask for a £10 commitment fee, but this is reimbursed in kind through food and materials on the day and travel expenses can be reimbursed up to £5.

💚Recent feedback from a teacher at Selby Abbey C of E Primary School, following one of Leanne's live-animal, science curriculum-linked Schools Go WILD! sessions💚.

🦎Project: WILD C.I.C. is looking for new Animal Care volunteers to join the small, friendly team! 🦎To find out more, please email Leanne Jeffers: [email protected] 🐍Project: WILD C.I.C. works to strengthen the intrinsic connection between people and nature, tackling declining biodiversity and improving people’s mental wellbeing, through school visits, community projects, skill development & holistic support.

🌿FREE short course in eco-gardening, run by Project: WILD C.I.C. and kindly hosted by Skipwith Hall, in their beautiful 4-acre garden! 🌷Runs Tuesday mornings, on the 5th, 12th and 19th May 2026. 🐝The course is for anyone 18+, who lives in North Yorkshire and identifies as in need of reskilling, upskilling or re-engaging with learning. All that is required is completion of a start-form, capturing what you hope to get out of the course, and later on, a completion form, as a condition of our funding. 🐛Held in a small friendly group, blending food growing with the promotion of biodiversity and the meditative aspect of time spent in green spaces. 🐸Project: WILD CIC is a not-for-profit environmental/ educational organisation, based in Riccall, and we can offer further opportunities in wildlife surveying and animal care. 🌿For further info, or to book a place, please contact: [email protected].

What happens when ecology meets employability? 🌱🐌 Our Rise2Thrive Trailblazer (R2TT) partner @projectwildcic is helping people reconnect with nature while building confidence, skills, and self-esteem. Through green workshops and tailored employment support, participants are taking meaningful steps towards wellbeing, work, education. For more on our diverse R2TT partnership, head to the link in our bio! ☝ #Ecology #York #NorthYorkshire #GreenSkills #Partnership #Employment #Bushcraft

👀Spotted: 'white dead nettle’ just beginning to flower. 📖Scientific name: Lamium album 🌱Native to the UK, white dead nettle is a common plant of roadsides, hedgebanks and waste grounds. Superficially, its leaves resemble those of the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), but it doesn’t sting, hence its common names ‘dead nettle’ or ‘blind nettle’. (See also ‘red dead nettle’). 🌱Like other members of the Lamiaceae genus (which includes mints and sages), it has square- shaped stems. 🐝White dead nettle has a long flowering period – from March all the way through to December. It provides nectar for, and is pollinated by, long-tongued pollinators such as bumblebees and solitary bees. 🐝The lower lip of the flower forms a landing platform for the bee. The upper lip of the flower is hooded to conceal the stamens. As the bee probes into the tube of the flower, the top of its abdomen brushes the stamens, picking up pollen which will then be carried to another flower, leading to pollination. The bee is rewarded by the nectar at the very end of the flower tube. 🐛Its leaves are a food source for caterpillars of several moth species, such as the garden tiger and large twin-spot carpet. 🌱All parts of the plant are edible, with a history of use in folk medicine, but always consume in moderation. 🪏White dead nettle can be incorporated into the edges of a wildlife garden, such as at the base of shrubs. Although it spreads by underground rhizomes, these are easy to pull out if needed. #nativeplants #earlyblooms #wildflowers #whitedeadnettle #pollinatorplants

👀Spotted: 'ground ivy' just beginning to flower. 📖Scientific name: Glechoma hederacea 🌳Native to the UK, ground ivy (also known as 'creeping charlie') is a common, evergreen plant of woodlands and hedgerows. Despite its common name, it is not related to true ivy, but a member of the mint and sage family (the Lamiaceae genus). Like other members of the mint family, it sends out overground runners call 'stolons', which root at the nodes, leading to the creation of large carpets and, when in flower, 'nectar corridors'. 🐝Ground ivy is a valuable early nectar source for pollinators, appearing when other sources are scarce. 🍺 The leaves have a pungent smell and historically it was a flavouring & clarifying agent for ale (before hops replaced it in the 14th century), as well as having many other uses in folk medicine. (Although not considered highly toxic, it should only be consumed in small quantities). Another of its common names is 'alehoof'. 🪏It can be incorporated into a wildlife garden as a ground cover for shady areas, where it can help to prevent soil erosion, but keep cutting it back to avoid it taking over ! (After European settlers took it over, it is considered an invasive weed of woodlands in some parts of North America). The dense mat or mound ground ivy can form acts as a microhabitat for insects and other invertebrates. #nativeplants #earlyblooms #wildflowers #groundivy #pollinatorplants

🌲Love the outdoors ? 🔥Join our FREE short course in Campfire Cooking for adults across York & North Yorkshire, in Escrick, near York🍴 #outdoors #campfirecooking 🍄You can sign up here: /e/18Hn1bYrsC?origin=lprLink 🌿Or for more info, email: [email protected] or visit /step-up/

🐢Love animals ? 🦂Join our FREE short course in Animal Care for adults across York & North Yorkshire. #beardeddragon 🦗You can sign up here: /e/18Hn1bYrsC 🦎Or for more info, email: [email protected] or visit /step-up/

🎄Christmas is coming and whilst we might be roasting chestnuts we won’t be toasting Marshmallow 🦂 (our Tailless Whip Scorpion)! #taillesswhipscorpion #whipscorpion #christmasanimals

Want to Work With Wildlife or Spend More Time Outdoors? Join the Trailblazer Programme with Project: WILD C.I.C Free support for 16–24 year olds in Selby, York & nearby areas If you’re not in work, school or training right now — or struggling to find your next step — we can help you build confidence, boost your wellbeing, and gain real experience working with nature, wildlife, and the environment. What You Can Do With Us: Help care for exotic animals Join outdoor projects & get stuck into nature Learn about biodiversity & conservation Get experience in wildlife, social media or photography Take part in volunteering, training & short courses “Is this for me?” Aged 16–24? Living in Selby, York or nearby? Not in work or education (or struggling to stay in it)? Love being outdoors, working with animals, or making a difference? Then yes — it’s for you. How It Works We’ll build a plan just for you, with support for 3–6 months (just a couple of hours a week). You’ll work 1-on-1 with our team to: Improve your mental wellbeing Build your confidence Try new things & grow your skills Take steps towards work or training Ready to Start? email [email protected] for more information

📲 Want to Grow Your Skills in Social Media or Content Creation? Body: If you're 16–24, into content creation, photography, or marketing, and not sure what to do next — this could be for you. At Project: WILD C.I.C, we run a free programme where you can: 📸 Help manage real social media accounts 🎬 Create content about animals & nature 💼 Build your confidence + boost your CV 🎓 Access free courses on marketing, editing, and more No pressure, no grades — just real experience, support, and fun projects you can be proud of. 🧠 Bonus: It also helps with mental wellbeing. ✅ It’s just a couple of hours a week. We’ll work around you.