Homes for Wildlife 2008 results

More than 25,000 of you have done an average of 12 things each to help frogs, toads, bats, insects, hedgehogs and birds in the last year.

Providing seed mixes, growing flowering nectar-rich plants and planting dense thorny bushes are just some of the top actions you've taken as part of Homes for Wildlife.

Homes for Wildlife was launched in October 2007. Since then 54,451 people have registered to take part. Of these, 26,197 people have told us about their gardens online and received tailored advice. An additional 15,000 people have registered via post and received an advice pack.

With more than 300,000 actions taken in year one, we're delighted with the positive response!

Your garden counts

Wildlife is increasingly reliant on our gardens for food, water and shelter so it’s fantastic that you are so committed to making your homes and gardens wildlife friendly.

Through Homes for Wildlife, we’re trying to reverse the alarming declines of familiar birds such as house sparrows, starlings and song thrushes. Large numbers of these birds make their homes in our gardens. The time committed by you in taking actions will help create a better future for them and other wildlife in the not too distant future.

'With more than 300,000 actions taken in year one, we're delighted with the positive response.'

More than 90 per cent of you said attracting birds and insects to your garden is important to you. Four of the top ten activities reflect this - providing food and shelter for birds, butterflies and moths.

The fifth most popular activity - growing plants in tubs to attract insects – shows that regardless of size or shape of garden everyone can take part. More than 4,000 of you took action on balconies or in gardens smaller than squash courts. In even a tiny space, you can make a real difference for wildlife.

Participants also counted birds, bats, bees, butterflies and other bugs over the summer. Find out more about this by downloading the report by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.

Topping the table

Top of the bird table were house sparrows with an average of five per garden. However, despite still being the most seen bird in gardens, their numbers have reduced by more than two-thirds over the last 30 years. Recent research suggests a lack of insects to feed young is contributing to declines. Homes for Wildlife participants are helping to combat this by encouraging insects back into gardens.

Across the UK, three quarters of you also counted blackbirds’ nests. Swifts were seen more frequently in the south. House martins were recorded more often in the north and west.

On average, 60 bugs were seen in each garden. Snails were most common with an average of 12 per garden. Ladybirds were seen more often in the south and east than the north and west.

Other results show that three-quarters of gardens surveyed had frogs, more than half had bats, a third had hedgehogs and newts and a quarter had toads.

Get involved

All participants expressed an interest in improving gardens for wildlife. 99.4 per cent wanted to improve it for birds. 95.4 per cent for insects, 83.5 per cent for mammals and 81.9 per cent for amphibians.

We’ve made a fantastic start, but it’s really important that more people get involved. Now is a great time to think longer term about turning your garden into a haven for wildlife.

'We’ve made a fantastic start, but it’s really important that more people get involved.'

The more people who sign-up and take action, the bigger effect we will have. By taking simple wildlife-friendly steps in our gardens, collectively we will make a real difference for many of our birds and other wildlife.'

All participants expressed an interest in improving gardens for wildlife. 99.4 per cent wanted to improve it for birds. 95.4 per cent for insects, 83.5 per cent for mammals and 81.9 per cent for amphibians.

The top ten activities

• Provide seed mixes, particularly sunflower hearts and millet-seeds for house sparrows and starlings
• Provide plants/shrubs of different sizes, shapes and ages
• Grow a range of plants
• Provide flowering plants as a source of nectar for butterflies and moths
• Grow plants attractive to insects in tubs and planters
• Retain dead flower stems and heads over winter
• Maintain any beds with a good layer of ground cover, shrubs and herbaceous plants for song thrushes and blackbirds
• Provide a nestbox or build your own for small birds
• Provide dense, thorny bushes for cover for song thrushes and blackbirds
• Prune trees, shrubs and climbers during January or early February

Going green

The Homes for Wildlife project also encouraged people to take greening actions in their homes and gardens. We'll bring you the results of this later in the year.

Find out more

To download a detailed report on the Homes for Wildlife 2008 wildlife surveys, please click on the link below.