It is widely known how important our wildlife is in England and how we must protect it the best we can. This doesn’t necessarily mean going above and beyond; but being able to make small life changes and understanding the importance of our wildlife and what species live around you, can be a really significant step in helping to make a difference.

Across England, there is an abundance of different species like mammals, birds, insects, as well as fish and different aquatic species. It is extremely important for the next generations to be educated about these different species of wildlife. In the hopes that becoming more aware of the protection and conservation of survival for many species is highly significant. Moreover, growing up I was lucky enough to live in the glorious Kentish countryside where there were endless fields, rivers and forests. I very often came across badgers and foxes, listening to birds singing in the trees and on some occasions seeing deer in the fields on early mornings. These were simply pleasures and still to this day I get excited seeing an animal cross my path. Furthermore, this makes it important for us to help and protect the wildlife we cherish. Simple ways to educate ourselves is to understand the breeding seasons of many species. One specific breeding season that runs for a long period is the birds breeding season. This season can run anywhere from February to August and within that time is it important for people to not disturb hedgerows, trees and bushes in the case they’re birds nesting. Although this is widely known, people often forget or simply consider that their hedge would be unlikely to have birds nesting; but in any case it is always important to check.

Other ways to help keep our wildlife safe can be fun and rewarding. For instance this could be creating a home for certain types of mammals when it comes to hibernation season and to help keep them safe. Moreover, this could be a make shift house, made out of wood or cardboard. As well, you can buy a pre-made home from a shop; but I’m sure making your own will be more enjoyable. The home can be filled with straw dust or newspaper and placed in your garden, preferably in a corner or in the flower bed so it is hidden. This will hopefully lead to many creatures like hedgehogs using this as a means of safety or sleep. it may only be a small gesture but it can be widely appreciated by our wildlife. Another way to get involved is to build a bug house. This can be made from anything lying around your garden like loose sticks or twigs and items with holes in and compost. Creating bug hotels can be a great way of attracting and protecting our insects within our garden. As well it’s a perfect way to get kids involved by making a bug house and to further educate them on the ways to protect and conserve our insects. Lastly, introducing bird feeders to attract different species can not only be beneficial for the birds survival but also exciting. New breeds may appear in your garden each day.

There are of course others ways to help the environment. One main aspect can be reducing the amount of plastic that you buy and use everyday. Luckily there are many eco-friendly methods nowadays. These methods can cut down your plastic consumption and stop it affecting our wildlife and aquatic species. Ways to do this can be simple and very effective. Firstly, using cloth bags when you go food shopping instead of using plastic as they’re re-usable, easy to pack away and a great alternative. Luckily, cloth bags are now sold in most supermarkets over the country so its easy to pick a few up and start reducing your plastic consumption. In addition, you can also use less plastic inside your home by using glass or steel Tupperware/storage. This can drastically lessen the amount you use. As well as practicing re-using products like reusable makeup pads. This can help the industry cut down on mass producing products which are packaged with plastic.

I believe that the few ways to help that I have pointed out can be significant in helping our wildlife to thrive and stay safe. In my garden, me and my family have created our own nature pond which we have had for about six years. It has grown into an incredible hub for all different species of amphibians, insects and birds. We have an abundance of oxygenating plants that grow in and around the pond to help keep it clean. Originally, we decided to create it in a quiet part of the garden so we would not disturb the wildlife that came. Much to our delight we have about seven frogs that live in the pond as well as the odd newt that might emerge. This is so incredible to us that we have these species living happily in our garden and helping keep them safe is just another part in keeping our wildlife protected. Another way of helping that doesn’t involve getting hands on can simply be donating to charities. In England we have some incredible organizations that work with wildlife conservation and protection. The larger and more well known are the RSPB and the RSPCA. These are some of the most well known charitable foundations that work with birds and mammals as well as domestic pets that are in need of help.

I believe that making these small and simple changes can really help our future wildlife to thrive in this ever changing world.