According to NatureScot – Scotland’s biodiversity includes an estimated 90,000 animal, plant and microbe species, but every year since 1946, we’ve lost wildlife and in turn our natural heritage. We must take action now to avoid further irreplaceable nature loss.
Neal Lochrie – the Council’s Biodiversity Officer tells us more: “Put simply, biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth.
It is needed locally and globally for us all to survive and is also essential for sustaining the ecosystems that provide us with fuel, wealth, health, food and other vital services.
“The Scottish Government’s aim is to be recognised as a world leader in biodiversity conservation, but for this to happen, everyone needs to be involved and understand the benefits.
“Although we are in a biodiversity crisis, as a local authority, we are still making good progress when it comes to nature loss and climate change.
“Services like Streetscene are leaving some of our greenspaces and coastal locations more overgrown to prevent habitat loss of wildlife, insects, flower and fauna.
“We also have teams like Roads who are maintaining our infrastructure and keeping pollution and traffic away from biodiverse habitats and the Council is committed to planting 108,000 trees by 2030.
“A host of local eco-schools are running their own community gardens and working on conservation projects to attract pollinators.
“However, as we approach the winter months, there are simple actions that you can take to your own part close to home to help nature and biodiversity. See our round up below…”
“As we approach the winter months, there are simple actions that you can take to do your own part close to home to help nature and biodiversity. See our round up below…” Neal Lochrie, Biodiversity Officer
Winter biodiversity – practical actions that you can choose to take
1. Bumblebees dig hidey holes in the grass to hide in and also rest in leaf litter so consider leaving fallen leaves alone and only mow lawns occasionally using a high-cut setting;
2. Help bugs to shelter this winter by recreating dry nooks and crannies using stacked log piles – ladybirds, lacewings and butterflies love these…
3. If you can, fill up bird feeders to hang in your garden – seeds, fat balls and fat cakes will encourage regular visitors to your garden;
4. If you don’t have a garden, plant a winter window box instead – evergreens and hardy heathers are great at surviving this time of year;
5. Volunteer with local environmental or conservation groups – such as Nature Scot, Conservation Scotland and the Scottish Wildlife Trust
6. Did you know, that if you have a wild flower meadow already, it will provide birds with natural seeds during winter?
7. Provide fresh water for birds as they need to keep their plumage especially clean in winter – swap out if it freezes, brr!
8. Think about what you can do in the home and office as this has a wider impact on biodiversity – see the Do your part for net zero – NAC Staff News (north-ayrshire.gov.uk) article for more inspiration.
9. If you have a real Christmas tree, remember the Council offers free uplifts in the New Year – read the Festive Waste collections article for more info…
10. Put hedgehog hibernation home in your garden. Tuck it away in a quiet corner, fill it with straw and give your hedgehogs a warm safe place to hibernate for the winter.
11. Did you know, that if you grow sunflowers in the summer and then leave the deadheads on them over winter, small birds will feed on the seeds all winter?
12. Put out a water butt or several containers to collect water in the garden. This way you can collect water in the winter and use to water the garden in the summer.
13. The winter is a great time to plant native trees and hedges in your garden. Native trees such as oak, willow, rowan and birch provide a home for many more insects and birds than non-native trees such as eucalyptus.
Planting a native hedgerow, blackthorn, hawthorn, elder and rowan, in your garden provides habitat for you garden birds to nest in during the spring and summer and berries to eat over the winter. Even a few metres of hedge can make a big difference and bring nature into your garden.
14. Bird feeders are a great way to help our small birds over the winter. However, because of the large number of birds visiting them, they can become way of passing diseases between our wild birds. To help keep you garden birds from getting sick:
- If possible, use more than on feeding station so all your birds aren’t feeding in the same place.
- Move your feeders around the garden so potentially infectious material doesn’t get a chance to build up under the feeders.
- Clean bird baths, feeders, feeding stations and hard surfaces under feeders as often as possible. You can wash them down with a weak solution of domestic bleach.
- Rinse off all surfaces with clean water and air dry before using. Remember that some diseases can be passed to humans. Make sure that you wash the feeder outside, always wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards.
- Make sure any cleaning equipment you use isn’t used for anything else, like washing your dishes!
- Putting out fresh water for you birds helps keep them safe from diseases.
Think about what you can do in the home and office as this has a wider impact on biodiversity – see the Do your part for net zero – NAC Staff News (north-ayrshire.gov.uk) article for more inspiration.
If you have a real Christmas tree, remember the Council offers free uplifts in the New Year – read the Festive Waste collections article for more info…