Our wildlife in the UK has been degraded over many years of human development. We remove valuable habitats for our own needs, but this often results in a loss of biodiversity. There are many ways that we can help our wildlife flourish, by using our gardens as a safe place for animals and changing some of our behaviours - we can make a positive difference in the world!
1. Don't use chemicals in your garden!
Chemical use in our gardens has been going on for many decades. We don't want our precious plants getting munched away by slugs, snails, caterpillars and many other 'pest' species, so many people will put down slug pellets, ant powder and other chemicals to protect their plants. Our wet summer this year has been explosive for slugs and snails and so the horticultural treat is great. However, if you put poisons in your garden you will not only kill the desired pests, but also any predator that might feed on them. This can be hedgehogs, birds of prey and many other smaller bird species. Having these 'pest' species in your garden dramatically increase the other species too, and these are often animals that bring us joy to see. Chemical fertilisers also find their way into the water table and are usually toxic to aquatic life.
2. Stop using throw-away plastics.
We all know that plastics are extremely bad for our environment. As they break down, microplastics are released and these find their way everywhere! In the ground, in the water cycle, in the animals and even in you! Scarily enough, the average human ingests around 5g of microplastics a week! That's like eating a credit card's worth of plastic every single week! This statistic alone should make it clear why we should recycle everything that we can. Cleaning our environment will also help reduce the trash and toxins our wildlife (and ourselves) will get exposed to! ZooLab does a company-wide litter pick every year where we clean the areas around where we live. It's quite shocking how much we collect!
3. Support pollinating insects.
Butterflies, bees, wasps, beetles and flies are all important pollinating insects, without them we would lose a vast majority of food and crop production. They are also extremely delicate and fragile animals, easily affected by chemicals and environmental change. There are many ways in which we can help them flourish...
Planting native plants that are known to feed pollinators is really helpful. Foxglove, Lavender and other wildflowers greatly aid pollinators.
Having an overgrown patch in your garden also gives them a place to lay eggs and hide.
Installing a 'Bee hotel' also gives a place for solitary bee species to nest. Areas of bare ground also offer a nesting site for bees as many dig tunnels underground to nest too.
4. Create a safe wildlife garden.
Our gardens can become a paradise for wildlife if we understand what they need. Allowing a passage in and out of your garden is very helpful. I have a small gap under my fence which allows hedgehogs in and out... I've never seen one but have found its droppings (goodbye slugs and snails). If you are a cat owner then I'd suggest putting a bell on its collar, this alerts birds and other animals to its presence and gives wildlife a chance to escape. In the UK, domestic cats are responsible for around 100-275 million animal kills each year! Installing bat and bird boxes provides vital nesting sites in urban areas, where they are more scarce. Having a diverse garden is also beneficial. Having a log pile allows for many invertebrate species to live there, an area of overgrown weeds and native plants and a pond greatly increases the biodiversity of your garden. I have a dead Cherry tree in my garden and I've just left it to break down by itself, I regularly see woodpeckers feeding on the insects living in its trunk.
5. Reduce water consumption.
Our rivers and waterways are under a great threat. Sewerage is getting dumped into our rivers at a level that's simply illegal. So we need to do whatever we can to reduce the pressures on our water systems. One suggestion would be to use a water butt in your garden, the rainwater collected can be used to water the garden, fill the bird bath and reduce what's being taken from the system. Fixing a leak like a dripping tap will reduce your bills and also the amount of water getting wasted.
6. Support local wildlife initiatives.
Helping support wildlife projects near you will help contribute to wildlife conservation. By volunteering or making a donation you will help with the ongoing work involved in the projects. You can also get involved in citizen science by helping conduct animal surveys such as the Big Garden Birdwatch or the butterfly count - organised by the Butterfly Conservation Trust. These surveys greatly increase our understanding of animal populations and their geographic hot spots.
7. Spread the word!
This is something we can all do with very little effort. Show your enthusiasm when you see something interesting! For example, a few years ago I had a lesser spotted woodpecker in my garden and I went to my neighbours to tell them I had just seen this very rare bird! They quickly wanted to know what they could do to lure it into theirs for their viewing pleasure! Join local wildlife pages on social media, it's amazing what other people local to you spot, photograph and post! Pass on your knowledge and interest to people and try to inspire them! The more people who have an interest, the bigger difference we can all make!
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