Turn your outdoor spaces into havens for wildlife, whether it be a garden, balcony, yard or community green space.
South West housebuilders Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes and the RSPB have launched Nature on Your Doorstep, a project designed to inspire and advise everyone on how to transform their outdoor spaces.
This project comes after a year in lockdown caused many to rediscover and rejoice in their local nature. In 2020 alone over 1.7 million people sought advice from the RSPB website on how to make their garden more wildlife-friendly, and in January the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch saw a record-breaking one million people take part in counting the birds in their garden.
In a recent YouGov poll two thirds of people in the UK said nature was a source of solace during the pandemic, with more than half of those surveyed (51%) believing the pandemic has made them more aware of the nature around them. A recent study from Princeton University, USA, also found that gardening is one of the top five activities for increasing emotional wellbeing.
The importance of the outdoors to our own health is reflected by the Mental Health Foundation choosing ‘Nature’ for the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week – running from 10-16 May – in recognition of how nature helped people through the pandemic.
Visitors to Nature on Your Doorstep will be able to access:
· how-to gardening guides,
· easy step-by-step videos,
· …
