Lend a hand for nature this winter

Merseyside people urged to lend a hand for nature this winter. As the days and nights become colder, many people are tempted to retreat from the garden and snuggle indoors until spring. But before getting too comfortable, spare a thought for the wildlife shivering outside and follow the RSPB s top tips to help birds and other creatures get through the coldest months.

At this time of year, all types of wildlife will start preparing for the winter, and the RSPB is calling on the residents of Merseyside to lend a helping hand to ensure there is enough food and shelter.

Dan Trotman, Visitor Development Officer for the RSPB s Dee Estuary nature reserve, said:   Autumn is a great time of year to do all sorts of jobs to give nature a home in your outside space  whether it s a

large garden or a small window box: build or buy a hedgehog shelter, also known as a  hogitat ; put up nest boxes; dig a pond or tidy up your existing one; or you could even plant bulbs ready to attract bees and other insects next summer.

But if this sounds like a lot of hard work, don t worry, doing nothing can also help: holding off pruning your hedges is a great way of helping wildlife without actually having to do anything.  Leaving them until around February next year means the berries will be able to be eaten throughout the winter.

There are a number of simple things that can be done in the garden to help nature now and in the coming months:

Put up a nestbox Many birds, such as tits and wrens, use nestboxes as safe places to sleep through the autumn and winter.

Plus, if it goes up now, it will be ready in plenty of time for next spring when birds are looking for a new home.

Build an insect home Bugs also need somewhere to spend thewinter. Short lengths of drinking straws, hollow canes or plant stems, tied in bundles make great shelters for lacewings and ladybirds.

Putting off the pruning of borders and shrubs until early spring will also provide a home for insects through winter.  

Stock up the bird table Birds use up a lot of energy keeping warm so winter is the most important time to make sure they are well fed. Bird seed mixes are available to buy but scraps will also do very nicely. The more variety of food provided, the greater range of species are likely to be attracted.

Plant a fruiting hedge At this time of year, traditional

countryside hedges are full of blackberries, elderberries, rosehips and sloes, forming a supply of food for birds through the winter. Mimic the traditional hedgerow by planting a fruiting hedge.

Take care on Bonfire Night If celebrating 5 November with a bang, do not set fireworks off near trees and bushes as it could disturb roosting birds and cause them to move on and use up valuable energy they can t afford to use.  Also, take extra care when building a bonfire.  Log piles and leaves are the perfect spot for hibernating hedgehogs and they will usually be buried right at the bottom. Build bonfires on the day to ensure no prickly guests have moved in.  

The RSPB recently launched a campaign to help tackle the crisis facing the UK s threatened wildlife. Giving Nature a Home is urging everyone to provide a place for wildlife in their own gardens and outside

spaces. The charity hopes to inspire people across the UK to create a million new homes for nature.

The campaign comes after 25 wildlife organisations, including the RSPB, released the groundbreaking State of Nature report, which revealed that 60 per cent of the wildlife species studied, including garden favourites like starlings, hedgehogs and some butterflies, have declined over recent decades.  And they are in danger of further declines unless more is done to provide better habitats.

The Giving Nature a Home website provides excellent information about helping nature in any outside space   whether it s a huge garden or a small planting tub on a balcony. Find out more at rspb.org.uk/homes. Or

visit one of your local RSPB reserves, such as Burton Mere Wetlands or Marshside, for face-to-face, expert advice from knowledgeable staff and volunteers.

To find your local RSPB reserve, or seasonal events taking place near

you, visit www.rspb.org.uk/events

RSPB's biggest ever campaign. Giving Nature a Home

Nestbox

RSPB aims to tackle housing crisis with plans to build one million homes in the UK

Nature charity needs Merseysides help with its biggest ever campaign. The RSPB has today launched a campaign to help tackle the housing crisis facing the UK s threatened wildlife. Giving Nature a Home will urge the nation to provide a place for wildlife in their own gardens and outside spaces.

The charity hopes to inspire people in Merseyside to help towards creating a million new homes for nature across the UK.

The launch of the campaign comes a month after 25 wildlife organisations, including the RSPB, released the groundbreaking State of Nature report revealing 60 per cent of the wildlife species studied have declined over recent decades.

Many garden favourites in Merseyside were among the creatures shown to be in serious trouble including starlings, hedgehogs, some butterflies and ladybirds. All are in danger of further declines unless more is done to provide better habitats.

Young starlings

Getting individuals and families from Merseyside to act for nature in their own gardens is the first part of a package of actions that the RSPB is launching in response to the State of Nature. Over the course of the next few months, the charity will be outlining what businesses, communities and politicians in the county can do, as well as detailing the RSPB's own plans for saving nature.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/science/stateofnature/index.aspx

Amanda Miller, RSPB Conservation Manager for Northern England, says:  Nature in the UK is in trouble and some of our more familiar garden species are amongst those suffering serious declines. Merseyside gardens provide a valuable lifeline for species like starlings, toads, hedgehogs and butterflies, which are struggling to find homes in the wider countryside.

 

Hedgehog box

Although the overall problem is huge, the solution can start on a small scale, right on our doorsteps. It doesn’t matter what sort of garden you have, what size it is, or even if you have no garden at all, we need everyone to help by turning their outside space into a wildlife haven.

The more people that get involved in our Giving Nature a Home campaign the better. Our aim is to provide one million homes for nature across the UK, because if there s no home for nature, then there s no nature   it really is that serious.

TV homes expert, Linda Barker, is one of the famous faces supporting the campaign. She said:  I m getting behind the RSPB s campaign because, to me, having wildlife in your garden is the perfect finishing touch to any home.

Frogs in  garden pond

 Planting wild flowers, digging a pond or creating a log pile for bugs is not just a good way of getting creative and making your garden more attractive, but it will also benefit threatened garden wildlife at the same time. Individual actions will make a difference and start to help tackle the lack of habitats for some of our wild creatures. In my garden I’ve put up a nest box for birds and planted nectar-rich flowers to attract bees.

Red admiral on sedum

Small copper & bee

If everyone can do just one thing and gave nature a home in their outside space it would be amazing - together we can make a big difference.

To help spread the word, the RSPB has joined up with Rightmove, the UK's number one property website, to help promote the campaign to homeowners, renters and those looking to get onto the property ladder.

Bee box

Matt James from Rightmove, said:  Though we re more used to helping people find a home than helping them build one, when the RSPB told us about the parlous position of some of the UK s favourite species we felt compelled to throw our support behind the campaign. More than a million people visit Rightmove every single day looking for a new place to call home and we’ll be doing our bit to spread the word about just how easy it can be to make a difference.

logpile

To spread the word and inspire individuals from a across the country to build homes for nature in their own gardens and balconies, the RSPB is embarking on its first-ever primetime TV advertising campaign, beginning on 5 July.

Over the coming months the RSPB s Burton Mere Wetlands reserve on the Dee Estuary and the Ribble Discovery Centre at Lytham St Anne s will be running a series of events and activities linked to Giving Nature a Home. For more information, visit www.rspb.org.uk/reserves. 

The Giving Nature a Home website will give everyone access to expert advice about helping nature in any outside space - whether it s a huge garden or a small planting tub on balcony - at www.rspb.org.uk/homes

By visiting this website people can get their free Giving Nature a Home starter guide, help populate a map by telling the charity when and where they ve given nature a home, and share pictures, tips and ideas with others.  You can also find out more about what the RSPB is doing to give nature a home in the wider countryside.