Shutterstock / Anna Aybetova©The RSPB has launched “Nature On Your Doorstep”, a brand new campaign designed to inspire and advise everyone on how to turn their outdoor spaces into havens for wildlife.
This project was made possible thanks to a three-year commitment from Barratt Developments, the UK’s largest housebuilder. It comes after a year in lockdown caused many to rediscover and rejoice in their local nature.
In 2020 alone over 1.7 million people sought advice from the RSPB website on how to make their garden more wildlife-friendly. And in January the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch saw a record-breaking one million people take part in counting the birds in their garden.
The importance of the outdoors to our own health is widely recognised. For example, the Mental Health Foundation picked “Nature” for the theme of the recent Mental Health Awareness Week, in recognition of how nature helped people through the pandemic.
Visitors to Nature on Your Doorstep will be able to access:
- how-to gardening guides
- easy step-by-step videos
- seasonal gardening advice
- an online community dedicated to bringing people together to ask questions, seek advice, and share their successes (and learning experiences!)
Visitors will also be able to sign up to receive a monthly newsletter full of useful tips and tricks.
An incredible source of comfort
Over the next three years the project will continue to grow into a go-to place for gardening for wildlife.
Adrian Thomas, the RSPB’s wildlife gardening expert, said:
“Our local wildlife has been an incredible source of comfort over the past year. We’re so thrilled to see people wanting to help nature in return.
“With Nature on Your Doorstep we want to provide a place for everyone to learn from each other, ask questions, and be inspired to do more.
“Gardens can provide a crucial lifeline for struggling species. Familiar birds such as the house sparrow have seen their numbers halve in the last 40 years. 28 species of urban butterflies are down 69% in three decades.
“But seven out of eight households in Britain have a garden. That is a huge patchwork of potential homes for nature.
“To that hungry butterfly, or that weather-beaten bird looking for a place to roost, just one garden can make all the difference. If we all work together to transform our gardens, we can truly revive our world.”
The RSPB and Barratt Developments have been working together since 2014 to show how new homes can help nature and support wildlife. Their support has allowed the RSPB to breathe new life into its wildlife-friendly gardening work.
For more on the Nature On Your Doorstep campaign, click here.
For some tips from the “Friend” on looking after wildlife in your garden, click here.
Iain McDonald I am the Digital Content Editor at the “Friend”, making me responsible for managing the flow of interesting and entertaining content on the magazine’s website and social media channels.
