Biodiversity

What you can do to improve biodiversity

Since the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) was launched, a number of Biodiversity Projects have been undertaken working with agencies, voluntary groups, businesses and community groups to benefit the wildlife and habitats of Midlothian. There are also actions that you can take to improve local biodiversity.

Installing bird boxes and bat boxes

Why not consider installing bird or bat boxes in your garden?

Guide on bird and bat roosting boxes

Attracting bumblebees

Bumblebees are declining at an alarming rate, so what you grow in your garden can be extremely beneficial to them.

You could consider planting flowers in your garden to benefit these important pollinators, or provide a place for them to nest.

Visit the Bumblebee Conservation Trust's website

Gardening for biodiversity

Private gardens make up a huge area of our greenspace, and the potential to improve biodiversity by making our gardens more wildlife friendly is immense. There are many things you can do to improve your garden for biodiversity and make it look great. Below are just a few of the resources that are available on the internet.

Garden for Life is a partnership of organisations that are working in Scotland. Its key aims are to increase enjoyment and understanding of biodiversity, support action by gardeners for the benefit of Scotland’s biodiversity and promote the benefits of gardening for health and well being. Information can be found at the Garden for Life Forum web pages, including downloadable leaflets on a variety of subjects such as how to garden without peat.

Many different types of wildlife can be attracted to gardens. The most obvious type is birds but they are only a small part of the wildlife that can be attracted by a carefully planned wildlife garden. This can include bats, badgers, hedgehogs, bumble bees, butterflies and lots of other small creatures. There are plenty of websites that provide good advice. Some are species specific while others give general advice.

If you get a lot of birds in your garden and want to find out more about them, you can either invest in a good bird book or check out the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) website.

If you do decide to plant up part, or all, of your garden for wildlife then where possible use suppliers that can make assurances about the origins of the stocks that they supply. Some suppliers follow a code of practice developed by Flora locale. They give advice and information on the use of native flora. They also have a list of suppliers on their web site.

Happy gardening!

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