Eco Friendly House And Garden

‘The uncomfortable truth about Biodiversity’, he says….

Basically this book explains how looking to save just one species out of a whole ecosystem is not the way forward for saving biodiversity.

And to prove it, he opens up with an Introduction with an image of a Dodo. Are we ecologically worse off after we lost the Dodo as a species?

The Book Itself:
This book is a very easy to read description of how science works in practice. And that sometimes this results in ‘bad’ things.

The Author helps to explain even the simplest concepts about why biodiversity exists (usually due to a poor or limited environment) and how saving or losing key species can have disasterous consequences.

He also uses fantastic and sometimes unbelievable facts about species and habitats that were even a surprise to me after having read widely about these things. And he managed to put a new ‘twist’ on some already obvious facts with cited examples across the globe.

He is not out to ‘pick holes’ in conservation work or the studies of biodiversity across the globe; he just states statistical facts based on current figures that can’t really be argued with (although changes in our behaviour could always change the end results).

He also makes it clear that ‘saving the planet’ and it’s ecosystems and environments is a totally different science to ‘saving the panda’ or any single species or plot of land. Frighteningly he places an argument that we could easily and cheaply save nearly half of the worlds land surface which is currently ‘wildlands’ and where there are less than 5 humans per square kilometer.

But we don’t (or haven’t yet) as they aren’t really ‘worth’ anything to us and have very low biodiversity.

However the services they could provide (for free) for humans is priceless – but we seem to want to save every species rather than just the habitats they live in.

I totally agree that our actions are a tiny bit selfish – in general we want to save cute pandas and butterflies more than pristine but ‘boring’ plains and tundra – but he lets us know that this is quite a good option for saving ourselves. After all, we can’t live on this planet if there is no food or clean water for us all.

Result: 5/5
I couldn’t put this book down! I loved every page and every fact!

It is a reasonably small book too which made for great readability – as you knew it wouldn’t take long to glean all his wonderful and truthful facts from.

I work in one of the environments that he discusses in the book, and he certainly showed me a different side to it – as well as a new look at the principles of evolution and indicator species too.

He has also written a few others books that I can’t wait to get my hands on…..

ISBN: 978-1-900322-86-7

There are no excuses at all for not creating a haven for wildlife where you live – even if you are high rise!

Every spare flower can help species to feed and survive – as you are helping to create ‘wildlife corridors’ between parks and gardens along the way. Helping our wildlife to get around and multiply!

And by creating this safe haven – you could actually get a certificate to prove you are playing your part in helping garden wildlife.

How To Get Involved:
Ideally you will find a way to feed, water and protect any birds, reptiles or mammals that you can as well as offering then a place to raise their young – depending on your circumstances.

Not everyone needs to find a home for brown bears or wetland birds – even a tiny home for a sparrow or overwintering butterflies can be a perfect wildlife ‘garden’.

Obviously – the more land you have – the more you can offer to help; but every live creature needs a home – and you can offer that wherever you live.

I have feeders hanging outside my apartment window where I regularly see blue tits, great tits, sparrows and squirrels, as well as collared doves and wood pidgeons on the ground eating the fallen crumbs – I’ve even had sparrowhawks here because of this – but they weren’t here for the peanuts!

Visit Garden for Wildlife with Scotts to get some great information to help you get started – as well as information on native plants that will encourage and benefit local species to your garden, yard or window box!

Get Certified!
Scotts are hoping to get 150,000 wildlife habitats created in a massive drive to improve the choices that animals have to move around our urban areas and open spaces.

There are so many roads and buildings in some places that wildlife just can’t get established, Also migrating animals find it hard to pass through some areas due to the lack of essential foods or safe places to rest or sleep.

So why not find out how you could create a feeding station for migrating insects and birds; or how you could create a breeding pond for amphibians; a winter sleepover for cold mammals; or a one night stop-over spot for a wandering anything!

Even if you can only offer 1 of the required actions – you can still apply and recieve great tips about progressing on to full certification – as well as a free magazine subscription!

Or – why not work with a friend who has more space to get certified together – maybe even your whole class – or school!

The more people and places that get involved – the better the results will be in your town and in your state – as well as the whole country.

Animals don’t always just live in one place the whole year – they travel. So if people in the place where these animals live in the summer, people in the places they pass through and people in the place where they spend winter all put in a little effort – we can start to make a real difference.

Join In:

Offer your kids that chance to learn more about their garden with your fun new game!

We all know how identification keys work – but sometimes they are just too complicated and tend to include things that you won't ever need to know; for example, rare wild plants or 7 species of woodlouse which all look the same!

So why not make your own more fun and relevant guides that only include what you know you already have?

By making a simple 'puzzle' for those younger people in your life – you could not only create a game to while away the hours before dinner – but one that is also very informative and hopefully intriguging at the same time.

Where To Begin:

Firstly, you need to do a bit of research yourself – unless you already know a fair bit about the life in your garden.  And you will need to decide what you are going to include – or how many different guides you want to create.

Will you include garden and ornamental plants only, wildflowers and 'pest plants'; maybe even garden birds and trees – depending on your garden of course!

Then you need to decide on which species you actually have present or are likely to have visit – and make a few lists.  Let's imagine you were just doing trees for this example and we can follow the process more simply.

Your List:

Let's say you have 5 trees in your garden; an oak, a sycamore, a holly bush, a horse-chestnut tree and a eucalyptus.  Now all of these have very different leaves to an experienced eye – but to children they are totally new.

So you need to start with the basics and work up from there – so pick the most obvious one first to eliminate it from the search – so the holly bush might be first to go with the question: "Does it have really spiky leaves?".  This way, the child should always remember the spiky leaves if it's a holly.

photo credit: Mark A Coleman (FREE photos to use / download)

This leaves (excuse the pun) 4 contenders – 2 of which could appear quite similar, and 2 completely different – so let's get rid of the noticably different ones like the eucalyptus first with "Are the leaves long, thin strips?"; then the oak with "Are the leaves wider than your hand?" with a no pointing to the oak.

Once you get to the final trees – you can then ask whichever way you want to get to the end – maybe even including your own drawings of the leaves as the final step.

Your Personal Touch:

You can of course, add anything you want to the keys to make it more fun – or more informative.  For example, you could elaborate on each species with a few 'facts' concerning their growth or history – or their benifits to wildlife.  Or you could point them towards certain pages in your field guides so they can learn for themselves.

You could make it a checking off game where some of the answers aren't really in your garden – just to make sure they are using it properly! I mean you aren't going to have a Giant Sequoia in your garden are you?

And obviously you can filter out all the 'hard' parts of identification so that you don't get them bogged down in the details and scare them off of identification for ever.  I mean, kids don't need to know that there are many different violet species – just knowing it is a violet is good enough for starters!

They don't need to know the habitat types, geology, how they reproduce or what season they flower in – that can all come later when they already have a keen interest in the subject.  You just want to harness their interest and give them something worth doing in the garden and in the fresh air!

You never know where it might lead their inquisitive minds in the future!

What is this eco friendly living method that is creeping into our lives?

You have probably heard of the Permaculture movement, but aren't really sure what it is all about.  The prefix 'perm' doesn't immediately sound eco friendly or green, but suggests permanency – long term goals and aims.

But long term 'culture'?  The word doesn't instantly connect with your changing lifestyle – but it could.

Define Permaculture:
Well, there are plenty of definitions all revolving about the same point but emphasizing the particular niches within it:

"Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies."

"Permaculture is about designing ecological human habitats and food production systems. This synergy is further enhanced by mimicking patterns found in nature."

"Permaculture is sustainable land use design. This is based on ecological and biological principles, often using patterns that occur in nature to maximize effect and minimize work."

"A system of perennial agriculture emphasizing the use of renewable natural resources and the enrichment of local ecosystems."

Basically, permaculture can be seen as a way of living and farming in synch with the way that nature would do it herself.

In the way that natural cycles in weather, plant distribution, human activities and so forth carry on regardless when unaffected by humans – why can humans fit into that system rather than change it?

Forests grow from bare rock in nature; each plant or animal finding the best way to fit in to the changing habitats – so why can't humans exploit that natural series of events to help them survive – and without affecting it adversely.

Change Isn't Always Good.
We know that over time, a heath will become overgrown with scrub plants which will eventually turn into trees and so a woodland is born – and this is the way that nature works best. 

But when humans want the land to stay free of trees – they have to go against that very natural pattern – and this takes time, energy and money.  For example, large scale farmers have to plough the land regularly to stop other plants growing, kill insects with chemicals, kill wildlife by other means and basically fence off the natural habitats long term and feed and water it excessively in order to grow the 1 thing they want.

However, permaculture looks at growing crops that are naturally occurring there – or can grow well in that location without draining on resources or getting rid of natural plants and animals as a result.

It still isn't an easy job as you need to be able to survive on these crops and make a living from them- but you use nature to help you farm and grow them instead of chemicals and a life-long battle!

The Basic Plan:
Permaculture is a working science with some very technical examples - but its principles can be easily understood.

Ideally a working system would use less energy, increase productivity and help restore or balance the natural environment.

For example housing the duck pond near your flower garden or veg patch so that these ravenous feeders can eat all your garden slugs for free (saving you food for them and chemicals to kill your slugs).  Or growing mature trees over your water source, so that less water evaporates from it and the plants can water themselves. 

photo credit: george.schon

Much of this you might think is common sense – yet we still buy white bread (which has most vitamins and minerals bleached out of it – with man-made vitamins and minerals added back in afterwards) and we sell all our home-grown milk to other countries and then buy milk back from yet more countries to make up the difference!

And the principles of permaculture are just applied to farming methods – they can be applied to almost any human environment including cities!

But that's a whole other story……

photo credit: Bryn_S

Whatever you want a balloon for in the first place – it will mostly end up as litter whe you're done!

They might be brightly coloured and fun for the kids, or in huge numbers for the work party - but they are terrible for the planet and wildlife alike.

But – as with everything – there are choices you can make as to how god or bad you want your balloons to end up being on the environment. 

Even if your balloons are bright pink – they can still be very green!

First Things First:
The most eco friendly balloon is one that is never used – so ask yourself: do I even need a balloon at all?

What are we saying with a balloon that can't be said with something else – like a plant, a new hat or a homemade cake!

Most balloons end up a litter in some far away environment – mainly due to parents assuming that children won't 'let go' of it (which is as likely as your children never spilling a drink, or dropping food) or organised events trying to celebrate something by releasing non-biodegradable litter into the air!

But people still want a balloon don't they; so here are some easy things to think about when buying balloons that could make all the difference to what happens to your balloon after it flies off in to the distance.

Tie A Knot – rather than using a plastic stopper – as this means there will be less waste created and less resources used in the first place.

Use Some String – rather than using a shiny ribbon or metallic tape – as this means that the string can be chewed through if it entangles an animal, and will biodegrade far faster than shiny things!

Don't Use Shiny Anything – rather than using a natural rubber or latex balloon – why would you want to use man-made non-recyclable or compostable materials to celebrate anything?

photo credit: Lunchbox Photography

Use Fresh Air – rather than filling the balloon with Helium – as this will reduce the demand for such a rare gas as well as preventing its release into the upper atmosphere.

Use Latex  - rather then using non-biodegradable rubber balloons – as this will degrade easily in the environment or in your compost heap rather than choke a seabird!

Don't Let Go! – rather than risking your balloons early departure, always tie it down securely.  Don't assume that you or your children will hold on to it forever – as you know they alwasy get away!  Even if you balloon is tied up with a knot, attached to thin biodegradable string, filled with your breath and made out of latex – you still don't want it to fly off!

So, 6 great ways to make your balloons better for the environment!

If you fancy looking at your local landscape in a new way this winter then get your walking boots on!

Yeah – a walk out in the local countryside is always great fun for the family – and an eco friendly day out – but why not look at it in a slightly different way by joining a local tour guide on a themed walk? 

That way you can get another angle on the fields, hills and rivers you see on your regular walks.

1) Local Support:
By attending a local walk, you will be showing the local charity or society which is running the event that you are interested in the area and it’s history.

This could mean that they will add extra things to their schedule for the following years based on the number of visitors taking part.  Needless to say that if only 2 people turn up to each event they organise – they might not run so many in the future – so they need to know that you are interested in the areas that they are helping to preserve and bring to life.

2) Local Knowledge:
It goes without saying that the guide running the tour will be a fountain of knowledge regarding the theme of your tour or walk.  Whether they have specialised in ancient history, industrial history or natural history of the area – you can rest assured that they have a passion for the subject and enjoy sharing their enthusiasm with others.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

And what better way to reward them – and possibly to inspire others – than to attend one of their tours.  They will be able to give you an ‘hands on’ experience of the landscape, and hopefully inspire others to share their passion in the future or to find a new skill.

3) Local Landscapes:
By taking a trip to one of these locations – you will get to experience and support the very land you are standing on.

The reason these landscapes are still landscapes rather than industrial or housing estates is because people like your tour guide (and other volunteers in the area) are working hard to preserve them as they are.

Your visit is just the perfect way to remind them that what they are doing is all worth while.  Even the people who aren’t doing the tour but are in contact with the tour guide will feel the rewards of your visit.  When they ask about how the walks went and the answer is ’36 people turned up!’ – everyone wins!

4) Local Secrets:
Many of these organised tours could include a visit to places you haven’t been before!  You may get invited onto private land, through farm buildings and even underground!

There are many patches of land local to you that are owned privately, tenanted out or kept ‘people-free’ for a reason – whether it is for preservation, conservation, habitat regeneration, farmland or which has limited access – however, your tour guide may have exclusive access!

You could be allowed to walk through parts of a nature reserve that are off limits to the general public, stretches of woodland that are not close to footpath or river banks that are in the middle of farmland!  Imagine seeing your local landscape from a whole new angle or wandering into a little copse that is virtually undisturbed?

Imagine the photo opportunities?

5) Local Inspiration:
After learning something new about the very places you thought you knew so well could open up a whole new point of view for you or your family.

Maybe you always just walked the dog along the same path without a thought for the ancient hill fort just over the hedge or the tiny stream running the other side of that field.  You might start to look out for badgers in the copse there – or deer coming from that woodland now that you know they are there…..

You could have got yourself some great photos of an old farmhouse or barn that you can’t see from the road – or that disused air-raid shelter or underground storage hole that you wouldn’t have seen were it not for your guide telling you!

If you thought the countryside near you was already the most amazing place – be prepared to see even more of it on a guided walk!

Did you know that the money in your savings account could be destroying habitats?

When you invest your savings into a pension fund or other savings accounts – do you actually know what happens to it?

Do you think it just sits in the bank you are using earning interest?  No it certainly doesn’t!  Your bank or other company use it to fund other deals around the world to make your interest.

And they may be using it directly: through funding a company or buying that company’s products, or indirectly; by funding other companies who happen to fund that company or buy their products.

Now, what if that company were drilling for oil in the Amazon and had had a few serious leaks over the past 10 years?  What if that company were growing oil palm in Borneo after clearing hectares of prime rainforest?  

Do you know where your interest is coming from?  Has that extra £500 you earned last year cost the livelihoods of tribal warriers in Brazil, or the actual lives of the dwindling numbers of wild orangutans left in Borneo?

photo credit: BlatantWorld.com

Ask Questions:
So, next time you are thinking about what you can spend your savings on – think what they have cost the planet and the animals and people on it.

However, the way to feel good about your savings is to have invested in a suitable eco investment.  Such schemes may well fund replanting of woodlands for eco friendly timber; planting of rare plants and trees for niche industries like violin manufacture; or green oil production.

Find out where your bank is going to be investing your money before you hand it over.  All the while nobody is asking – they will just carry on as usual.  If the returns are calculated purely on financial gain – then your money will probably never be spent on green alternatives.

Make sure your bank is aware of your concerns for their spending – and you may well be part of the crowd that makes them change their funding.

It’s Your Money!
The irony of your investments could be ridiculous if you actually looked into it.  I mean you could be donating £10 a month to an eco friendly charity trying to halt the destruction of coral reefs – yet investing in shipping industries who regularly travel through these delicate waters damaging the coral.

Or you are making sure that you buy sustainable consumer products – while funding the farming companies who are blanketing the earth with monocultures and oil plantations at the loss of the very environments your ethical products are trying to save.

Basically you are funding both sides of the argument.  You are paying for the destruction in the first place and then funding the charity who is trying to ‘fix’ the problems afterwards!

And of course it also means that you are paying twice: once to break it, then again to fix it!

They are fast becoming the western worlds favourite pet – but are they eco friendly?

I’m afraid the simple answer is ‘No’.  Due to the biological make-up, behavioural patterns and dietary needs – they are nothing but a drain on the environment in the large numbers we see them in today!

There are however things that a cat owner can do to lessen the effects of a feline family and it is easy to make more ethical and more eco-friendly choices if you already have one. 

The most obvious one is getting your cat neutered as soon as physically possible and never buying a kitten from anywhere – always ‘rescue’ your kitten or cat from a rescue centre.  ‘Rescuing’ a kitten off a neighbour who has let their cat get pregnant is not technically rescuing – it is just offering an outlet to an irresponsible pet owner!

So, once you have your cat or kitten – lets find out what makes then tick!

Feeding:
Cats are carnivores by nature not by choice.  Due to the lack of some essential amino acids in the feline biology – they cannot survive without high levels of meat in their diet – unless you have endless amounts of time and energy – and money, to spend on your cats ‘vegetarian food’ (which is a bit like asking a sheep not to eat grass) and not at all eco friendly!

Due to this carnivorous diet – their faecal waste cannot be composted – unlike bunnies and horses.  Therefore it needs to be sent to landfill as noone has yet invented a biofuel out of cat droppings!  And as we all know cats will go to toilet just about anywhere – and several times a day.

Toilet Habits:
We all need to go to the toilet – but the cat has it’s own little set of options – totally chosen by you the owner.

Option 1:They poop outside where they want and annoy all your neighbours – as well as potentially passing on parasites to neighbours pets and sometimes even the neighbours themselves.  To kill these parasites needs regular use of insecticides – although you can find some milder ‘natural’ remedies that only work well if the levels of parasites are low.

Option 2: They poop indoors and you spend a vast amount of money each month on cat litter, litter trays, litter tray liners, cat litter air fresheners, carbon filters, pet-safe disinfectant and hoovering up the bits that stick to the cats feet which they walk all over your home! 

Now there are wood-based or recycled paper cat litters that will do the job just fine - and you could always just use a simple tray.  You would need to put it far enough away from you that you can’t smell it (or clean it out several times a day) rather than buying the whole confined and perfumed set-up – however, if your living space is tight you may have no choice in the matter!

Hunting:
It has been well publicized that cats are possibly responsible for huge decreases in the population of garden birds due to the habit of catching them in the garden and by raiding nests in bushes.  You can try a bell or discs on the collar or some sonic device to prevent this – but 2 of the following 3 things will happen:

1) The cat will pull off the collar and this will add to the other 1000 collars that are found in gardens and streets every month in the city (cat-related litter to add to the thousands of unwanted kitty poo’s).  Obviously this will also mean that around 1000 people a month will go out and have to buy another collar and bell from the store.

2) The cat will still be able to stalk and catch birds with the collar on anyway as they are genetically designed to be stealthy and so can overcome a badly made cheap bell without too much trouble – and baby birds in the nest can’t really go anywhere – even if they hear Big Ben!

3) The cat will annoy you and all your neighbours by jangling about all over the place with a bell on it’s collar!  It will jingle it’s way around your house all day and through the night, and it will even annoy itself after a while – I mean imagine having a giant set of keys hanging off your neck all day every day!

Accidents:
Cats are generally put outside overnight to ‘take care of themselves’ – but this is the most likely time that they will cause a traffic accident or get themselves run over.

Obviously if they cause an accident, this is not only bad pet care and not exactly socially responsible – but it could cause unnecessary damage and injury to both the car and local houses as well as your neighbours and your cat respectively.

Now, at the moment an accident caused by a cat doesn’t legally put any fault on the cat’s owner – although the results are still the same.  And a car accident caused by a cat is almost totally avoidable if people kept the cats indoors at night.

Conclusion:
In summary then – a quite brutally - for a truly eco friendly cat – you would keep it indoors all the time, feed it complete dry food and use recycled paper cat litter and use herbal flea and worm remedies.

Or opt for a rabbit instead!

They are well known for their tireless work to help wetland birds – but there’s plenty more!

The RSPB Wildlife Charity based in the UK are here to protect more than just waders – they cover all sorts of wings, legs and trunks!

No, not elephants: trees, plants and whole habitats!  Saving 1 species of bird is virtually meaningless; as the birds need a place to live and feed too – so just focusing on 1 thing was never going to be a successful plan!  So they have expanded their range and set more targets for themselves.

So what are the 5 main aims of the RSPB today – other than just keeping british bird populations healthy – and how can you help then to increase their efforts!

1) Safeguarding The Sea!
We know that they are already working to protect, clean and manage inland waterways and estuarine environments – I mean, we have all been to one of their reserves – but what about the huge expanse of water along the coast and out to sea!

With the recent implementation of the Marine Act in England and Wales, they are working hard to give this environment the best protection they can as over 50% of the UK’s birds and wildlife rely on the sea for food and breeding.

However, the Act doesn’t extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland – so you could be working with them to protect these areas too.

2) Avoiding Extinctions:
By knowing which species are where in the UK, the RSPB can tell when they are in trouble and need a helping hand.  Sometimes this is just through careful monitoring, but more commonly it means taking drastic and emergency action.

Whether it’s the captive breeding of individuals, the re-introduction of others or the working in secret locations to protect small populations, they make sure that the few remaining birds have got the best chance possible to breed and rear healthy offspring.

And it’s not just in the UK that they are trying to save species, for example they have reduced the accidental deaths of 18 species of albatross by a whopping 85%.  Longline fishing around the Antarctic was killing 1000′s of these birds every year – and they hope to extend this success around the worlds other oceans.

3) Inspiring Indonesia!
Working overseas again, the RSPB is saving precious rainforest in Sumatra – aimed at the bird life but now protecting mammals, insects and amphibians too.

Providing and protecting a tropical habitat that is home to rare tigers, sun bear, monkeys and all sorts of colourful birds and other wildlife is their top priority in this region – and they hope to protect more land here and across the globe.

4) Coping With Climate Change:
They actively lobby the government on all issues they feel relevant to preventing any more climate changing activities like opening further coal-powered power stations and encouraging sustainable energy production, such as wind farms.

They arranged a hugely successful march through London last year – called The Wave – and are now asking the public to sign their ‘Letter to the Future’ so that a million voices can all tell the Government what we think our country should be doing for the Planet.

5) Countryside Fun!
What is the point in saving these habitats if nobody is going to use them?  So the RSPB work hard to make the countryside accessible for all by improving and expanding their reserves and other protected areas.

By encouraging schools and adults alike to respect and explore the Great Outdoors, they are helping to make sure that there are people in the UK today who will take care of our countryside in the future!

You can help by becoming a member for as little as £3 a month (less than the entry fee to 1 of their paying reserves) or a family from just £50 for the whole year!

Or you can offer to volunteer at a reserve near you and make a physical difference to the UK countryside and the wild places around you.

During the bright sunny weather – there are butterflies everywhere!

But what are they all called, and why does it matter?  Well, it matters because butterflies are very specific feeders and so can tell us what the health of certain plants is like – and therefore which habitats are disappearing and which ones a expanding.  And this information is vital to biodiversity and conservation.

So – how many butterflies can you identify?  Which plants have you introduced or encouraged in your garden to attract butterflies?

Well, now is your chance to learn a few more and actually use this new information to help a national survey tell us about our changing environments.

The Survey:
The Butterfly Conservation Trust and Marks & Spencer have got together to organise a very simple sample survey of your local butterflies.

Basically, all they want you to do is tally up all the butterfly species you see in your garden or on a walk in just 15 minutes.

No need to learn a billion species or any rare butterflies – just the common and most widespread species in the UK.

They have even produced a fantastic, clear and comprehensive visual identification guide to around 15 butterflies – showing both upper and lower wing patterns.  They couldn’t have made it any easier!

So could you spare a few minutes now looking through the species guide and then 15 minutes at the end of July to tally them up?  A pair of binoculars wouldn’t be a bad idea either!

Why Butterflies?
Well, butterflies are very obvious in the environment.  They don’t try to hide – infact they brandish their wings to the sun; they come out during the brightest, clearest days and they are usually brightly coloured too – with some quite striking patterns.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

This means that it would be a lot easier that trying to spot night-flying moths or small mammals etc!

As mentioned before, they only feed on certain plants and only lay their eggs on certain other plants, so you can be very sure that where there are White Admirals there will be Honeysuckle and where there are Silver-Washed Fritillary there will be Dog Violet.

Therefore if there certain plant species dying off or becoming more abundant due to land-use changes or differing weather patterns – the butterflies will have to change their local habitat to make sure they and their young can feed.

And this is where the survey can tell the specialist and awful lot!  The information for just our garden might not really tell us anything – but add that up between all the survey results and the picture will become much clearer.

So the more people who can spare 15 minutes of their time – the more definitive the results will be, and the more action can be taken to make sure we don’t lose butterflies from our gardens – and don’t lose entire habitats because we didn’t care to look!

So, go get your suncream and a pen!