Giving nature a home in your garden with RSPB

We’re probably all seen lots of news stories in recent years about the decline in our native wildlife. Falling bee populations, tidier gardens, and disappearing meadow land have all hit the headlines, and with 60% of the UK’s wildlife species seeing decline over the last fifty years, it’s pretty obvious that nature needs our help.

While this decline is going on, at the same time we’re losing touch with nature. RSPB research has revealed that more people are increasingly disconnected from nature because they simply have less contact with it these days. And this situation is especially true for children.

Nature is inspiring, educational, therapeutic, beautiful – and so much more besides. Surely we need to start noticing it more, and doing our bit to take care of it?

So what can we do? Well it’s actually as simple as making small changes right outside your back door.

credit: Eleanor Bentall RSPB-images

I’m thrilled to be working with the RSPB as part of their ‘Give nature a home in your garden’ campaign this year. The campaign is about taking small, achievable steps to garden for wildlife, which in turn will give nature a bigger home overall. It’s also about giving children an opportunity to experience more nature up close. Now obviously I’m passionate about getting kids outdoors and experiencing all that nature has to offer, so we’re really excited about what we’re going to be getting up to.

credit: Eleanor Bentall RSPB-images

Encouraging wildlife to visit our gardens and make a home there is beneficial on so many levels. We’ll be helping our native species to thrive and, in some cases, survive; our gardens will be healthier as a result; and it’s a fantastic way to get the kids involved and interested in the great outdoors on their doorstep. And it doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming, or expensive.

“We want to inspire everyone to give nature a home. If we all do a little bit, we can achieve amazing things.”  RSPB

credit: Eleanor Bentall RSPB-images

Over the next few months we’ll be sharing our experiences, as we try out lots of fun family activities for giving nature a home in our own garden. You can find out more about the RSPB Giving nature a home campaign here – and look out for the first installment of our adventures coming soon!