We don’t mind admitting that, here at Playforce HQ, we’ve got a bit hooked on this year’s Springwatch… You can catch up on all the past episodes here and we particularly enjoyed Springwatch: Wild in the Garden, where Kate Bradbury transformed her garden into a wildlife haven… and, of course, there’s the live cameras…
One of the things we’ve found most inspirational, however, is Gardenwatch. In fact, as you might have seen from some of our previous blogs, it’s something we’re particularly passionate about. That’s why we’ve put a bit more information here, for you, so you can get your schools and settings involved.
What’s it all about?
The challenge has been set. Gardens are becoming increasingly important as our towns and cities grow. Gardenwatch wants to map the resources available for wildlife in gardens up and down the country, and find out which wild visitors they attract. It also aims to find out what our gardens are lacking and how we can improve them for nature.
What can you do?
Working in partnership with the British Trust for Ornithology and the Open University there are four missions that you can get involved with to help to build a better future for the UK's wildlife!
The Gardenwatch Missions
Mission 1: Beyond the Backdoor - We want to know what’s going on in your gardens. What are you doing for wildlife and what’s this bringing to your space? The first mission is to work out what gardens across the UK actually look like. So we need to know what’s in your garden! It doesn’t matter if it’s paved, if it’s a balcony, if you’ve got fake grass, if you’re struggling to keep it under control – we want to know what you’ve got!
Mission 2: Worm Detective - What’s lurking under your lawns – it’s time for the minibeasts to shine. We need you to get down and dirty, face to face with the critters that creep and crawl beneath our feet. Whether it’s wriggling worms, slimy snails or boisterous beetles, these animals are crucial food for our birds and mammals – do you see how these missions are starting to tie together? We need you to do some digging to see just how important your gardens are for these species.
Mission 3: Bird Detective - What birds are in your garden and how many, and what they’re up to while they’re there - are they feeding, singing or just catching some sun? Are certain species there all the time or do you just catch the occasional glimpse? What you provide for birds in your garden may be influencing their behaviour, so we want to know if you’ve got food, water and nest boxes out. Many of our bird species are in serious trouble and we want to work out how best we can help them…
Mission 4: Mammal Detective - Who are your furry neighbours? In other words, which of our amazing British mammals stop by your outdoor space? It’s a tricky challenge, as many of them are pretty elusive and often nocturnal. So how about a nice, early start to see what comes through just before sunrise? You might be surprised by what you see – bats flitting through the twilight, foxes skulking along the garden edges, hedgehogs rummaging in vegetation. If you don’t fancy an early start, we’d love you to look out for other tracks and signs – we’ve even got some tips on making an animal track trap! Whatever approach you choose, we need your input for our fourth and final mission. And don’t worry if you’ve missed any of the other three - there’s still time.
Don’t forget… there are lots of useful links for other things you can do on the Springwatch website.