The State of Nature 2016 report was published in September. It’s a thorough bringing together of data from more than 50 nature conservation and research organisations.
It led to some truly frightening headlines:
- One in 10 UK wildlife species faces extinction
- More than half of UK species are suffering long-term declines
- The abundance of nature (i.e. the number of individuals within a species) has also declined
- UK is “among most nature depleted countries in the world” (189th out of 218 countries).
In his foreword, Sir David Attenborough said “Our wonderful nature is in serious trouble and it needs our help as never before.” But he also highlighted that there is cause for hope – conservation projects across the country have demonstrated that changing how we farm, garden and manage our land can restore ecosystems and bring struggling species back from the brink. Positive stories such as the red kite, otter, bittern and large blue butterfly lead one to hope that we will be able to reverse the worrying declines in species such as great crested newts, hedgehogs, hen harriers and water voles.
The most significant contributor to this sad state of affairs is intensive agriculture but urbanisation has also had a significant impact, which means that we urban gardeners & allotment holders can make a difference, by providing space for homes, food & water. After all, gardens cover an estimated 10 million acres in the UK – more than all the country’s nature reserves combined.
So how are urban species doing and what do they need from us?
Hedgehogs
In just the last 10 years, hedgehog numbers have fallen by 30% in the UK; there may be fewer than one million left. Hedgehogs need a surprising amount of space. They travel up to 2 kilometres every night, over a range of 10-20 hectares, in search of food and a mate, so it’s important that they have a corridor to pass between gardens. They eat insects, especially slugs, earthworms and beetles, so can be poisoned by slug pellets and other pesticides. hedgehog Street are interested in all your hedgehog sightings – report them here.
Birds
Some species, such as goldfinches, are doing well but others are suffering. House sparrows and starlings are now on the “red list” of birds of conservation concern, with swifts and dunnocks (aka hedge sparrows) on the amber list.
Invertebrates
Insects and other invertebrates do a lot of work in our gardens & on our allotments. They pollinate our plants, help break down food waste and plant material into compost, improve soil structure and eat pests – quite a busy life! They also provide food for birds, amphibians and mammals. Leaving seed heads and (particularly hollow) stalks over the winter will provide valuable hibernation space.
We have about 280 species of bee in the UK, some social (such as the honey bee and 19 species of bumble bee) but 90% are solitary. Honey bees live in colonies of up to 50,000; bumble bees live in much smaller groups – typically 50-150 individuals.
Solitary bees you may come across in your garden include the leafcutter bee (responsible for those semi -circular cuts in rose leaves), red mason bee, tawny mining bee and ivy bee (guess where they live?).
Amphibians
Froglife estimate that toad numbers have fallen by more than two-thirds in 30 years, with the worst falls in south-east England. The reasons for this are not clear, but it is likely to be a combination of farming practices, a loss of ponds, urban sprawl and deaths on roads due to increased traffic.
In addition, both frogs and toads are affected by a disease called ranavirus. Gardeners may inadvertently spread this virus if they take frogs, fish or spawn from neighbouring ponds or beyond – best to live according to Wayne’s motto “if you build it, they will come”.
10 simple things that can make a big difference:
- don’t be too tidy: let your lawn grow a little, leave seed heads in place and allow leaves to accumulate under hedges. Why not set aside a part of your lawn to become a meadow? These areas will provide shelter for insects to hibernate and rest.
- create a pond, as big as you can but even a mini-pond in an old Belfast sink or similar container will be used by frogs, toads & dragonflies for breeding and by mammals & birds for drinking & bathing
- look for the “good for pollinators” label when buying plants; what’s good for pollinators tends to be good for other wildlife too.
- don’t reach straight for the insecticide when you see a pest – they kill insects we value such as bees, butterflies & and ladybirds, as well as those we don’t and can also poison animals higher up the food chain such as hedgehogs and birds. Pesticides, especially those containing neonicotinoids, can remain in the plant for several months and potentially harm butterflies and moths which drink nectar from the flowers. Far better to encourage a natural balance by encouraging natural predators such as hoverflies, ladybirds, hedgehogs and birds.
- cut a hole in your fences to allow hedgehogs room to roam – and encourage your neighbours to do so as well.
- install homes for wildlife – nest boxes, bug hotels, log piles – vital for hibernating butterflies & other insects as well as breeding stag beetles – if you’re very lucky!
- feed the birds all year round – not just in winter
- go easy on the hard surfaces – patios & decking reduce the space available for nature and also make our towns & cities less resilient to flooding
- notice who’s visiting your garden or allotment – and report any sightings of unusual or invasive species. There are many organisations who organise counts from the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch in January, Friends of the Earth’s Great British Bee Count in May & June and Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count in July & August.
- don’t use peat-based compost
Want some more ideas? Go to the RSPB and Wild About Gardens websites for projects large & small and simple ideas to make your garden or allotment more welcoming to wildlife.