Helping “Giving Nature a Home” with the RSPB: How you can help

The RSPB are well known for the ways in which they strive to conserve the UK’s existence of wildlife, in order to protect and preserve the many spectacular species who are currently struggling to thrive within Britain. Cue RSPB’s new “Giving Nature a Home” campaign. This project encourages and inspires people all over the UK to make their gardens more alluring to nature, in turn creating a microhabitat for a variety of wildlife. A large degree of emphasis is usually placed on protecting birds alone, when other animals such as the hedgehog are struggling to survive, but can often be overlooked due to the fact they are ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Visitors encounter a huge array of magnificent wildlife when they are on holiday at our woolacombe self catering cottages, and we’re often asked, how people can help and we have just the thing. The RSPB website has a page where you can apply for your very own pack to help give nature a home, but in case you wanted some information and advice in the meantime, we have a few ways for you to help out the array of much-loved and much-deserving UK wildlife: Water Water is just as vital for wildlife as it is for humans, so making sure that water is available is key to creating any garden microenvironment. It is understandable that having a pond may be out of the question, but having a birdbath or a dish where they can drink from and bathe in is achievable for most people. Having moist patches around the garden will attract amphibians such as frogs. If they are attracted, they will show their thanks by eating pests which may be harmful to your garden. Feeders Feeders are not just for birds, and can be used to entice other creatures into the garden. Filling them with live foods such as meal and wax-worms can entice creatures such as the hedgehog to seek refuge into the garden. These foods are a good source of protein, and will also be a good food source for parent birds hunting for their young. Nest Boxes There are traditional bird boxes which appeal to birds such as the blue tit, but have recently been joined by boxes made specifically for other birds such as swallows, woodpeckers, kestrels and owls. Alongside of this, there are now many bat boxes, which offer a roost for these protected animals. Bugs Insect hotels are a fantastic addition to any garden. They act as a nesting site for pest-controllers and pollinators, as well as a retreat for them to escape from predators. An insect hotel is particularly attractive to the ladybird, who uses it to hibernate during winter. There is also a chance of having a small colony of mason bees forming in the hotel, which is great news, as bees are the finest pollinating species there is! Wildflowers Filling your garden with native wild flowers will fill your garden with flashes of colour. This will not only make your garden look attractive, but will also attract insects searching for pollen. This will therefore encourage insects to head back to your garden to gather their pollen, which they will then take forward to pollinate elsewhere. Shrubs Alongside producing flowers in the summer and fruit in the autumn to feed species, shrubs can also offer shade and cover for many species. They may even be lucky enough to attract ground-feeding birds. Image: Marie Morri under .

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