The Malvern Gazette reports that 585,000 residents across the UK took part in the garden survey by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in January, with data recently published.
“Once again the RSPB big garden birdwatch survey has highlighted how important our gardens are for an amazing variety of wildlife living there,” said RSPB scientist Daniel Hayhow. "A lot of garden wildlife is in desperate need of our help. By providing shelter and a safe place to make a home, gardens provide an invaluable resource and are a key element in helping to save nature, perhaps even playing a pivotal role in reversing some declines.”
Gardeners were asked to keep an eye out for species such as slow worms and grass snakes and even the controversial badgers that have made news in the last few years.
“In a few years we’ll be able to show any changes in the distribution of garden wildlife using this fantastic data,” Hayhow said. "By bringing people closer to nature and learning new ways we can all give nature a home and we’ll see improvements rather than declines.”
This is a wonderful way to engage nature lovers in a safe, local way as well as collect valuable scientific data about ecosystems and biodiversity. We’re looking forward to hearing more from the RSPB on this survey, and hope to see similar surveys take place here in Canada.
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