Four ways you can help local wildlife this spring
Posted 16th March 2021
Our wildlife needs your help. A recent report named the UK as one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. In my lifetime we have lost a staggering number of our native animals and plants. Many of those losses are down to the intensification of agriculture and increasing urbanisation, and now climate change is rapidly accelerating the problem.
The good news is there are simple things that everyone can do to help slow down and even reverse the negative effects we are having on our environment and help the animals and plants with whom we share this special planet.
- Helping hedgehogs
Hedgehogs are one species that was named as a candidate for extinction in the UK unless rapid action is taken to help them. Hedgehogs can do well in urban areas, but they need access to gardens to find sufficient food. If you have a garden, consider creating a hedgehog-highway ie a hedgehog-sized hole in the bottom of your fence. They will reward you by eating slugs that may otherwise eat your plants.
You could also encourage them to stay around by providing a safe space for their daytime sleeps. Then, talk to your neighbours and encourage them to make their gardens hedgehog-friendly too. Before you know it, you could be part of a local community of hedgehog fans.
- Feed the birds
Many British bird species now rely on people supplying them with food to see them through the hard times. You don’t even need a garden to feed the birds, as there is an array of feeders available you can attach to your window. All you need to do is keep the feeders filled up with food, sit back and enjoy the natural spectacle. You could help the birds further by installing a nestbox for them to breed in. It doesn’t need to be an expensive abode, you can make your own for very little cost.
- Don’t forget the insects
You can give bees and other important pollinators a boost by planting flowering plants that bloom throughout the spring, summer and autumn. You only need a window box or a flowerpot to sow some seeds. Mix up some flowers with flowering fruit and vegetables and you could be helping our wonderous wildlife as well as eating tasty, organic produce by the summer.