Go wild in the garden! Give wildlife a chance to thrive
Want to help save the bees, butterflies and hedgehogs – and have an easier life, too? Of course you do!
Sometimes it can feel that trying to save the planet is a huge and impossible task. But starting close to home is the way forward, says wildlife film producer and presenter Fergus Beeley. ‘Small, local initiatives – even changing your back garden – can really make a difference,’ he says. Shocked by the dramatic decline in our wildlife, Fergus launched the Blue Campaign to encourage us to ‘rewild’ our green spaces. Now, Prima has teamed up with the Blue Campaign to see how we can all help…
WHAT IS THE BLUE CAMPAIGN?
It promotes the rewilding of gardens, parks, road verges and school grounds. ‘Rewilding’ simply means leaving the ground to go wild! It restores the natural habitat, attracting all sorts of insects, plants and animals.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED? Choose an area of your lawn or garden to not cut or weed until next winter. Let the grass grow naturally into a wild meadow. It doesn’t matter how big or small your garden is, leaving part of it alone will help restore biodiversity across the country.
WON’T IT LOOK MESSY?
Yes, it might – but you’re rewilding for nature, not for you! Over time, you’ll see new life appearing in your long grass. Look out for crickets, beetles, snails, butterflies and bees attracted by the wildflowers, and even hedgehogs.
BUT MY NEIGHBOURS MIGHT JUST THINK I’M LAZY…
This is why the Blue Campaign suggests placing a blue heart in the ground, made from recycled materials, to show that you are leaving the area wild deliberately.
WHERE CAN I GET
A BLUE HEART?
You can get creative and make one or buy one from the Blue Campaign shop (shop.bluecampaignhub.com).
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A GARDEN? It doesn’t matter! Leave a window box to go wild, or why not lobby your council to stop cutting highways and verges unnecessarily next summer?