It's the start of Lent today, a time when both religious and even non religious people give up something for 40 days. It got me thinking about what I would give up if I was going to do it. And then I started to think about what everyone else might being giving up.
I could give up chocolate or maybe Hobnobs, but that doesn't really make any difference to anyone else. So then I thought what if I gave up more time for nature. For example, I could watch a bit less TV and use that time to do more to help our wildlife..........and so could all of you.
So I am asking you to give up some time for Lent (or just because you want to make a difference) and give that time to helping nature. There are loads of things you could do. Here are just 10 simple ideas:
1. Do a nest record for the BTO
2. Feed the birds
3. Clean and disinfect your bird feeders
4. Make a nest box
5. Introduce a friend to birding/nature
6. Give a talk in a school about our amazing wildlife
7. Plant some insect friendly flowers
8. Make a hedgehog house
9. Pick up litter
10. Do a WeBS count
So please add into the comments about what you will do to help nature with the time you give up. And lets get a good head start on making a difference.
I will add the names and promises of anyone joining in on Twitter to the end of the blog so we can all share our ideas.
So over to you.
Your promises:
Betty Jo Workman @bettyjo62 I am going to try and plant all bee friendly plants and flowers in my garden
BTO @_BTO We'd like people to look out for birds & record what they see - simples!
Dawn Balmer @DEBALMER I'll be making extra time to cover two of the random squares for the @_BTO Peregrine Survey. I do my usual surveys too.
Ohh that's a good one
ReplyDeleteI probably wont get a chance to do 1
Already doing 2 and they're eating so much now after hardly touching the feeders all winter so we probably wont get a chance to do 3 for a while
I've got a plan for a different type of bat box to try next to my swift box that's already up - does that count
Try to do 5 everyday in our office - getting the lads to look out of the window at the rabbits and blackbirds
Doing 6 next week as well as leading a guided walk at the nature reserve to Yr 1s - gonna be fun!
Got a pack of field poppies to plant in the office wildlife garden when the workmen have finished building the new children's playground - lots of subsoil to sow them into
No chance of making a hedgehog box :-( Had one but no hedgies ever went in it and it rotted in the end
Litter is a never ending job shouldn't be but it is. the most important people in our society are the litter pickers and bin men, we should all appreciate them a lot more
I want to start my BBS surveys again but for the time being it'll have to be the remainder of the Winter Thrushes survey - maybe in a couple of years I can do more of the longer surveys.
I want everyone to realise you don't have to go to Africa or some other exotic location to see great wildlife, the magic of nature is right outside your front door all we need to do is learn how to see it.
Cheers
DaveyMan
Brilliant thank you.
Deletethose are good suggestions, findlay. i feed the birds and ducks here all year and keep nest boxes about. i probably need to figure out a few more flowering plants that would stay alive in this hot summer climate for the butterflies.
ReplyDeleteI like that list to be honest Findlay and really struggling to add anything different, I really like your number 5 on the list and, I've done or already doing some on your list but inspired/pushed by recent events I would expand on your number 9.
ReplyDeleteYes I'm actually going to take a carrier bag out when I go birding and see if I can fill it with litter (sadly not too hard) but I'm also going to photograph from now on every example of fly-tipping I stumble upon as it seem to be a regualr thing around my way and pursue our local council to do something about it.
Good idea Findlay - more action better than less action. What about giving up a day for your local nature reserve - phone the warden and ask what you can usefully do for a day to help him/her, or if you are a naturalist why not phone the local school and offer to lead a spring nature walk or give a talk about your favourite wildlife subject?
ReplyDeleteMatt Shardlow
Buglife
I will probably find a nest before the end of lent and reach 100 species this year
ReplyDeleteVery good blog. Birds need water, so even a small amount is better than none.#1000ponds.Also leave small patch of nettles and ivies and plant a holly. All good insect and butterfly habitats.
ReplyDeleteHi Findlay, today Sunday 9th March I saw a large peacock butterfly and bees on the few dandelions around. a red champion was blooming and celandines. not bad for a rather windy Welsh valley. also pond full of frog spawn
ReplyDeleteGrandma.