1 in 6 UK native species is on the brink of extinction

We are currently experiencing an extinction crisis. The UK has seen a 41% decline in wildlife since 1970 and even before this it was much depleted by centuries of human impact.

The main drivers of this are:

Changes in land use - through the conversion of forests and natural grasslands into improved grasslands for grazing and cropping through intensive agriculture.

By urbanising the landscape for homes, roads and leisure.

Direct exploitation - mainly through fishing, logging.

Others reasons include: Invasive species, pollution and climate change.

In our gardens we have the agency and opportunity to support nature.

In the UK, 87% of households have gardens. That's 23 million gardens that make up a million acres, an area 4.5 times the size of our national parks. We can use these and any other outdoor space available to us to proliferate nature.

Start by following these guidelines to protect nature in your garden:

• Don’t use pesticides or other chemicals in the garden, these kill more than the intended target

• Avoid the use of peat in the garden as it depletes a rich natural habitat

• Grow mainly native plants, the leaves and stems of which support herbivorous insects that become food for birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals. Whilst the flowers’ nectar supports native pollinating insects and their seeds wild birds

• Swap seeds and plants with like minded friends in your local area to support local plants and insects

• If buying plants, acquire them from responsible peat and pesticide free UK nurseries (See resources page)

• Avoid imported plants as they may contain harmful insects or plant pathogens