Taking Action for Wildlife

There are a number of ways that you can help to conserve biodiversity. These can both be indirectly, through using less energy and water, recycling waste and travelling sustainably or directly by taking actions around the home, garden or in your community to benefit wildlife. This page provides some ideas of practical actions you can take to help biodiversity.

Gardening for Wildlife

Simple things you can do to make your garden more wildlife friendly include:

•  Create a compost heap or buy compost that is guaranteed to be peat free.

•  Grow plants that provide food for birds and insects

•  Put up a bat of bird box

•  Install a rainwater butt

•  Create a mini wildflower meadow

•  Plant a hedge using native species

•  Create a wildlife pond

•  Garden organically - pesticides such as slug pellets can be very harmful to wildlife such as hedgehogs and birds  

Wildlife Gardening websites  

Natural England - Gardening with Wildlife in Mind

RSPB - Planning and creating a wildlife-friendly garden

Wild about Gardens

Wildlife Trusts - Wildlife Gardening

Helping wildlife in your local Community

Biodiversity projects in your local community will not only benefit wildlife but also help to enhance the quality of life of all those who live in an area.

•  Volunteer at a local wildlife site. There will be opportunities to help with valuable wildlife site management throughout the year.

•  Get involved in a local Friends group

•  Look at your local area for project ideas you may have an area of waste ground that would make an ideal wildflower meadow, a patch of woodland that needs management or ideal locations to put up bat or bird boxes.

•  If you have a community pond that is in need of some attention, or would like to create a community pond, Pond Conservation can help and may be able to provide some grant aid.

•  Take part in a wildlife survey

Information on practical volunteering opportunities in your area