Ways to Support Local Wildlife this Springtime

Our local wildlife is important for so many reasons. Wildlife provides valuable ecosystem services, like bees pollinating crops or birds controlling pests, biodiversity to maintain a strong food chain and provides a source of relaxation, escapism, and enjoyment for humans (and pandas) too!

It’s no surprise that local wildlife has been under additional stress in recent years – from habitat loss due to increased construction and agriculture to climate change impacting migration and breeding patterns, our wildlife is in need of a little more TLC. The good news is that it’s so easy to support your local wildlife with just a few small steps.

Our glamorous assistant, Colin, has collated his top tips for supporting local wildlife (and getting out in nature more!)

Bird Boxes

Install bird boxes into your garden to provide birds a safe place to nest and breed. Bird boxes are widely available to buy in a range of different sizes – this also encourages more birds into your garden and who doesn’t want to listen to birdsong in the morning with their cup of coffee!

Bird Baths and Feeders

Those newly acquired birds are going to need something to eat, drink and bathe in! Feeders can be filled with a range of nuts, seeds, and suet to ensure they stay strong and healthy all year round. Bird baths are important in the summers months to provide a constant source of refreshment for your new garden residents.

Create a Wildlife Friendly Garden

Plant native flowers and plants that provide food and habitats for insects, birds, and other wildlife! Lavender, sunflower and thyme are all easy to grow and great for pollinators, like bees and butterflies. Avoid using any pesticides or herbicides and enjoy watching your garden grow.

Sign up to the BTO Garden Birdwatch

You can participate for free in the great citizen science project, the British Trust for Ornithology’s Garden Birdwatch. In this project you report which specifies visit your garden each week to help the BTO learn about how wildlife use food, shelter, and other resources in our gardens. The more the BTO understand about how birds and animals use our gardens, the more they can improve our cities, towns, and villages to better support wildlife! To sign up, head to their website linked here!

How do you support your local wildlife? Let us know in the comments below.