Tips on creating a wildlife-friendly garden
Wednesday, 6 December 2006 12:00 AM
Gardeners can make a big difference in supporting the country's wildlife by using trees, ponds, hedgerows and nectar, berry and seed-producing plants, a new survey reveals.
The study finds that by creating 'green networks' connecting the mini-habitats created by our gardens, householders and developers can support a greater variety of wildlife.
The survey looked at how gardeners were supporting hedgehogs, goldfinch, common frogs, toads and bumblebees - five species with declining or fluctuating populations in the past few years.
Key findings were that gardens with seed or nut-producing plants were over three times more likely to attract goldfinches and gardens with a larger area of long grass were more likely to attract brown bumblebees.
London was found to be the worst place in the country for hedgehogs and frogs.
"Developers should be careful not to create 'token gesture' green spaces in anticipation they might provide real benefit for wildlife," said Simon Thornton-Wood of the Royal Horticultural Society, who carried out the survey, along with The Wildlife Trusts in partnership with Ribena.
"From our preliminary findings we looked at the gardens that recorded sightings of all five of our key species and found that they nearly all had tall trees, but only a third shared other important features such as ponds, woodpiles and long grass.
"Not everyone, especially those with small gardens, has the room for the ultimate checklist of features which means that neighbours need to pull together to help improve wildlife communities as well as social ones.
"Individuals who have created a wildlife oasis in a conservation desert provide a welcome refuge but its value multiplies when connected to neighbouring habitats, as last month's Stern report touched upon by calling for greater linkage of 'green' habitats to better accommodate species movement."
For more information on creating a wildlife-friendly garden see www.wildaboutgardens.org
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