Cost of taking action: £/$/€ LOW
From our guest author Anna Dawson in the UK
We often have a fixation on picture perfect roses and neatly mowed lawns, but ‘rewilding’ is more rewarding and can increase biodiversity
This action is to rewild a green space near you.
We often have a fixation on our picture perfect roses and neatly mowed lawns, but ‘rewilding’ is a much more rewarding practise, and increases biodiversity.
What is rewilding?
The term ‘rewilding’ means a type of environmental and ecological conservation which aims to increase biodiversity and restore ecosystems until it can naturally regulate itself.
Rewilding is a hugely important practise globally and can involve big projects such as removing dams and reintroducing native species, but on a small scale you can do your own rewilding locally to restore nature where you live – we’re not asking you to ‘move mountains’ all on your own!
Wherever you are in the world, you can rewild!
For example, the UK naturally has a diverse range of habitats including wildlife meadows, with moths, mice, hedgehogs and many more species! However, Plantlife, the wild plant conservation charity, estimates the UK has lost 97% of these meadows since the 1930s, as cities have expanded and our gardening habits have changed.
So we need to rewild our neatly mowed and treated green spaces to allow nature to take it’s natural, uninterrupted course – after all, nature knows best!
How can I rewild?
Here are ways of rewilding where you can:
Reduce lawn mowing
Try to stop mowing the lawn – or a part of it – as frequently as you do, and let it run wild a little so the garden can grow naturally. This lets your garden revert into a perfect environment for critters such as hedgehogs and many more.
Seed bombs
This is perfect if you don’t have much time on your hands, or a garden!
Seed bombs (click picture for a larger image) are wildflower meadow seeds rolled into clay or soil, that you just throw onto the bare ground and, with a little luck and a bit of timely rain, 3-4 weeks later grow! They are created to make perfect conditions to allow the wildflowers to survive.
Seed bombs are such a fun activity for kids, and therapeutic too!
Oh …. just make sure you throw them on your own property or community land, not privately owned land.
This is an amazing online shop to purchase beautiful seed bombs, please give it a go!
Create your own meadow
Alternatively (or maybe as well!), you can create your own wildflower meadow by buying wildflower meadow seed and digging up a patch of soil and then sowing. The RSPB have created a wonderful resource about this with step by step instructions just for you! Check it out at this link:
Take action
It’s an easy thing to do. This year, please rewild a small part of your garden or local area, and help bring some new visitors back to your garden whether they buzz, scurry or sway in the breeze! This is the way forward!
This article was contributed by “Outdoorsy Anna” Anna Dawson
Web: https://outdoorsyanna.wixsite.com/website
Twitter: @OutdoorsyAnnaa
Insta: @outdoorsy.annaa