In response to the shocking statistic that over 60% of wildlife species have declined over recent decades, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) are urging people across the UK to give nature a home in their own gardens.
The State of Nature report reveals that some of the nation's favourite species are in decline, including starlings, hedgehogs, as well as some butterflies and ladybirds, all of which are in danger of further decline unless more is done to provide better habitats.
As well as encouraging individuals to help nature in their own gardens, the RSPB will also be outlining what businesses, communities and politicians can do to help save wildlife from extinction over the next couple of months.
Recommendations from the RSPB's "Giving Nature a Home" campaign includes allowing the lawn to grow long, leaving a patch of nettles at the bottom of the garden, letting weeds like dandelions grow, leaving piles of logs for insects to live in and making a hole in the fence for hedgehogs to crawl through.
Other messy measures include not tidying up all the leaves under shrubs, filling buckets with wood chip, soil and rotten branches for insects and old washing up tubs full of water and gravel as a "mini pond".
TV homes expert, Linda Barker, is one of the famous faces supporting the campaign. She said, "I'm getting behind the RSPB’s campaign because, to me, having wildlife in your garden is the perfect finishing touch to any home. In my garden I've put up a nest box for birds and planted nectar-rich flowers to attract bees. If everyone can do just one thing and gave nature a home in their outside space it would be amazing - together we can make a big difference."
In an unusual move, RSPB has joined up with property website Rightmove to help promote the campaign to homeowners, renters and those looking to get on to the property ladder.
Matt James, from Rightmove, said, "Although we're more used to helping people find a home than helping them build one, when the RSPB told us about the parlous position of some of the UK's favourite species we felt compelled to throw our support behind the campaign. More than one million people visit Rightmove every single day looking for a new place to call home and we'll be doing our bit to spread the word about just how easy it can be to make a difference."
The RSBP will also embark on its first-ever primetime television advertising campaign next month to promote its campaign.
