WILDLIFE NEEDS GOOD NEIGHBOURS
Preliminary results of the survey
- Gardens with seed or nut-producing plants were over three times more likely to attract goldfinches than those with none (72% compared to 22%).
- Nearly twice as many participants who owned a garden pond spotted frogs during the survey period than those without.
- Gardens with a larger area of long grass (over four square metres) were more likely to attract brown bumblebees.
- Devon gardens were less likely than other parts of the country to provide a home for hedgehogs, but much more likely to have toads.
- Toads were found to be in gardens frequented by frogs but seldom in gardens without frogs.
John Hayward, DWT’s Community Biodiversity Officer explains, ‘it’s great to put out food and nest boxes for creatures like birds, but many species need belts of habitat before they can even get into your garden. This means that gardeners should be looking at the land around them and connecting to existing green networks to bring wildlife into the garden. Have a chat with your neighbours over the garden fence about where the hedgehogs go at night, or which seeds your local goldfinches are going for.’
Over 1,500 garden owners responded nationally to the survey between 2 and 17 September to help investigate links between garden habitats, gardening practices and key garden species.
Participants were asked to complete an inventory of types of plants and features in their garden including the garden’s location, their gardening practices, and whether the following species visited their garden within the two-week survey period: Hedgehog, Goldfinch, Common frog, Toad, Bumblebee, and specifically the Brown Bumblebee. The data is being analysed in depth with more comprehensive findings to be released next year.
Click here to read more about gardening for wildlife.