New project inspiring Prestonians to turn their outdoor spaces into wildlife havens

Food being put out for hedgehogs at the Big Wild Sleepout in April

Barratt and David Wilson Homes North West and the RSPB have recently launched a new project – ‘Nature on Your Doorstep.’

This is a project designed to inspire and advise everyone on how to turn their outdoor spaces into havens for wildlife, whether it’s a garden, balcony, yard or community green space.

This project 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.

In a recent YouGov poll two thirds of people in the UK said nature was a source of solace during the pandemic, with more than half of those surveyed believing the pandemic has made them more aware of the nature around them.

A recent study from Princeton University, USA, also found that gardening is one of the top five activities for increasing emotional wellbeing.

The importance of the outdoors to our own health is reflected by the Mental Health Foundation choosing ‘Nature’ for the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, which took place between 10-16 May.

From 19 May, 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

Already available are four of the ten ‘Wildlife Action’ articles and how-to videos from Adrian Thomas, the RSPB’s wildlife gardening expert.

The first two articles, for example, are titled ‘The best plants for wildlife’ and ‘Just add water’, and will talk people through how to find their green fingers and the importance of water for wildlife. Visitors to the page will also be able to sign up to receive a monthly newsletter full of useful tips and tricks.

Over the next three years the project will continue to grow into a go-to place for gardening for wildlife.

The project will host everything from customisable content to seasonal advice across the four nations, as well as conducting research into what drives or prevents people from welcoming wildlife to their outside spaces and investigating how to empower local communities to make shared spaces a home 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 of isolation and uncertainty, and 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, while 28 species of urban butterflies are down 69 per cent in three decades.

“But seven out of eight households in Britain have a garden, and 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 through the creation of Nature on Your Doorstep.

To turn your patch into paradise for you and your wildlife, please go to: www.rspb.org.uk/yourdoorstep

Have you been more mindful about wildlife during the past year? Let us know in the comments below.