Be part of the Plan is this year’s theme call to action for all stakeholders to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by supporting the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.See my post on the Kunming Declaration.
We all have a role to play and gardens are a good start. David Attenborough said, ‘Every space in Britain must be used to help wildlife.’ Gardens combined form large interconnected areas of green space important for overall ecosystem health in urban areas particularly. See an old post on garden biodiversity.
And if you have a garden, some suggestions for making your garden biodiverse:
1. Allow space for self-seeding to occur. native species from the area that self-seed are part of the local community of fungi, insects, birds and animals, more likely to thrive in your garden’s environment;
2. Allow plenty of untidiness n your garden. A neat garden is inhospitable to biodiversity;
3. So that means no, or minimal, lawn;
4. Plant locally native species;
5. Create three layers of habitat. Tall trees if feasible, small tress shrubs and grasses, then rushes and small spiky shrubs for the small birds, who get bullied by larger birds and Noisy Miners;
6. Provide water; and
7. Provide bird, bat boxes and insect hotels.
This morning I had to prune a native that was preventing light entering Wyn’s study. We think of our garden as existing for the wildlife, but we also live here.
