Family Wildlife Gardening This Spring - make your garden wildlife friendly

This spring Dorset Wildlife Trust is showing families how to create a wildlife friendly garden to attract bees, butterflies and more, no matter how small your space.

Come along to our workshop!

The Wildlife Gardening Workshop is being held in partnership with the Bournemouth Natural Science Society, who are hosting the event in their beautiful secluded gardens on Bournemouth’s east cliff. The whole family can have a go at planting nectar rich flower containers, building bug hotels and making bug boxes to take home for their own gardens.

Why garden for wildlife?

Nikki Hesketh-Roberts, Conservation Assistant, said: “This is a great way to learn how you can turn your garden into a sanctuary for wildlife.  Even the smallest patio can become a real haven.  Birds, insects and mammals don’t see your garden as a stand-alone place, so if everyone does just one little thing to attract wildlife, then we can create a huge wildlife friendly habitat.  This is a great way to teach children about nature, and let them discover all the creatures that they can attract into their gardens! The Bournemouth Natural Science Society’s beautiful gardens are a great example of a wildlife friendly habitat that you can create. They also have amazing collections of butterflies, beetles and other creepy crawlies for show that I know kids will love to investigate!”

Get your hands dirty...

The Wildlife Gardening Workshop is being held on Saturday 14^th May, from 10am to 2pm, at Bournemouth Natural Science Society, Christchurch Road, Bournemouth. The workshop will begin with a short presentation about wildlife gardening, followed by practical sessions for the whole family, planting and making wildlife habitats to take home.  

Tea and coffee will be provided, but please bring your own packed lunch.  

Adults £5, children free. Booking essential on 01305 264620 or email . 

Notes to Editor

For more information please contact Nicky Hoar at Dorset Wildlife Trust on 01305 264620.
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Swifts The number of breeding swifts in the south-west has fallen by around 40% since the 1990s, with the decline thought to be because of the lack of available nesting sites. The Dorset Swifts project was launched by Dorset Wildlife Trust in partnership with the RSPB, Dorset Environmental Records Centre and Swift Conservation, to help swifts before it is too late. The plight of the swift is linked to its habit of nesting in the roofs and eaves of old buildings, many of which are being demolished or refurbished, closing off the nest sites. Relying on the availability of older properties, swifts are found mainly in towns

About Dorset Wildlife Trust www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

Working for a secure future for Dorset’s wildlife enriching the quality of life Dorset Wildlife Trust works to champion wildlife and natural places, to engage and inspire people and to promote sustainable living. Founded in 1961, DWT is now the largest voluntary nature conservation organisation in Dorset, with over 25,000 members and over 40 nature reserves. Most are open daily and there are visitor centres providing a wealth of wildlife information at Brooklands Farm, Lorton Meadows, Kingcombe Meadows and Brownsea Island Nature Reserves, The Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve and the Urban Wildlife Centre at Upton Heath Nature Reserve. DWT plays a key role in dealing with local environmental issues and leads the way in establishing the practices of sustainable development and engaging new audiences in conservation, particularly in the urban areas.

Read our Blog "Wildlife Matters"

The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) www.wildlifetrusts.org

There are 47 individual Wildlife Trusts covering the whole of the UK and the Isle of Man and Alderney. All are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. We have more than 800,000 members including 150,000 members of our junior branch Wildlife Watch. Our vision is to create A Living Landscape and secure Living Seas. We manage around 2,300 nature reserves and every year we advise thousands of landowners and organisations on how to manage their land for wildlife. We also run marine conservation projects around the UK, collecting vital data on the state of our seas and celebrating our amazing marine wildlife. Every year we work with thousands of schools and our nature reserves and visitor centres receive millions of visitors. Each Wildlife Trust is working within its local communities to inspire people about the future of their area: their own Living Landscapes and Living Seas.

Nectar rich border © Nicky Hoar

Comma © Nigel Brooks