Local housebuilder Barratt Homes Mercia and the RSPB are calling for homeowners to give their garden a mini-makeover for nature. Not only are gardens a vital lifeline in the colder months, but now is also a great time to plan and prep for the warmer seasons next year.
To help give homeowners advice on how best to give nature a home in gardens, balconies, and even windows, the RSPB has produced a handy new guide to getting started, packed with simple, low-cost hints and tips on how to make a space great for people and nature too.
It gives lots of advice on planning the perfect outdoor space, including how to get it buzzing with wildlife. Winter is a great time of year to get planning and digging so that when spring comes next year, homeowners will have a fantastic space to enjoy whilst also providing a haven for wildlife.
The RSPB is asking for homeowners to share their mini makeover stories and experiences using the hashtag #NatureGardenChallenge, on social media, the new Facebook Group, and the online community.
Sadly, nature in the UK is in trouble, having lost 38 million birds over the last 50 years, with house sparrows, starlings and song thrushes all considered birds of conservation concern. Together with a 76% decline in butterflies and the loss of a third of urban hedgehogs since 2000, wildlife really needs a helping hand.
But there is so much that homeowners can do to help nature. Taken together, UK gardens are three times the size of Greater London. That is a lot of space that could make a big difference for nature.
This is why the RSPB and Barratt Homes have been working together since 2014 to show how new homes can help nature and support wildlife. This support has allowed the RSPB to breathe new life into its wildlife-friendly gardening work through the creation of Nature on Your Doorstep.
Sarah Brompton, RSPB Actions for Nature Project Manager, said: “We want every homeowner to come together and share their wildlife gardening experience. There are so many ways we can all be using our outdoor spaces to give nature a home, whether that’s by planting plants for pollinators or making a bug hotel. And the great news is that it makes these places such a joy for us as well – a visit from a hedgehog is bound to bring a smile to every face, and there’s something quite special about seeing a robin foraging in the snow. Together we can make our outdoor spaces a true haven for us, and for nature.”
Dominic Harman, Managing Director of Barratt Homes Mercia, said: “One of the easiest ways to help wildlife is on your doorstep. This is why we give new homeowners lots of information and guidance on how they can turn their blank canvas gardens into something wonderful that will look beautiful and help nature too. If we could harness every garden in the country to look after wildlife more it would make a massive difference.”
Barratt Homes is currently building new properties in the West Midlands at B5 Central in Birmingham.
