2 minute read
Nature and biodiversity
May and June are wonderful months to get outdoors in gardens and public spaces. The People and Nature Survey for England showed that almost half the population were spending more time outside than before the pandemic. Nature has been an important part of many people’s experience over the last year, but did you know that the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world and many of our species are in decline?
Here are a few easy tips on how you can get involved in helping your local wildlife:
1. Go wild:
Consider leaving a patch or the edge of your lawn unmown to allow more species to enjoy your garden. You could even plant wildflowers and create a mini meadow, which will look beautiful and feed hungry bees and butterflies, which are important for pollinating our flowers and our food!
2. Your garden might have space for a house, mansion or hotel:
Consider creating shelters for wildlife in your garden. This can include bat boxes, bird houses, hedgehog homes, bee hotels or bug mansions. Tips and tricks for making your own can be found here.
3. Friendly pest control:
It can be tempting to reach for the chemical pesticides in our gardens, but often these chemicals can hurt other wildlife unintentionally. Consider more friendly alternatives like using gravel or copper bands to deter slugs, or using netting and hanging CDs - their shiny surfaces can help to stop birds eating home-grown food.
4. Preferable plants:
Try to plant native species or plants that occur locally.
You can research this yourself or simply take a walk and see what plants are naturally growing near you. Certain plants are especially great for bees and butterflies, such as lavender which is an easy plant if you are a beginner!
5. Don’t have a garden?
There are still ways you can get involved, such as creating a hanging basket or window box with pollinator friendly plants. You could hang a bird feeder outside your window and if you have a balcony, you could create a vertical garden where the plants are supported to grow along vertical surfaces. You could also consider getting involved with a local conservation group.
