PRESS RELEASE

12 June 2006

Cheshire Wildlife Trust goes ‘Wild about Gardens’
Join the Wild About Gardens ‘Discovery Survey 2006’

How good is your garden for wildlife? Are your flower borders attracting bumblebees? Is your compost heap good for more than just your plants? What are the ingredients for the ultimate wildlife garden?

Cheshire Wildlife Trust has joined forces with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) for Wild About Gardens, a major project to help investigate the links between mini garden habitats, gardening practices and key garden species.

The ‘Wild About Gardens Discovery Survey 2006’ asks garden owners to complete an inventory of types of plants and features in their garden including the garden’s location, and answer questions relating to gardening practices. The survey will also ask participants to note observations of key species including hedgehog, goldfinch, common frog, bumblebee and specifically the Brown Bumblebee.

Simon Thornton-Wood, Director of Science & Learning for the RHS, explains, “Gardening for wildlife has gained credibility and popularity amongst gardeners in recent years leading to increased demand for advice in this area. We want Cheshire’s garden owners to help us uncover a better picture of this complex issue and ultimately help us discover the optimum conditions for the perfect wildlife garden.”

Sue Tatman, CWT Wildlife Gardening Officer, comments, “After the huge response to our survey in 2005 we know there is great enthusiasm for wildlife gardening amongst garden owners. The key species that we want gardeners to observe have been carefully chosen because they are good indicators of the effectiveness of particular conditions and practices. Hedgehogs, goldfinches, frogs and bumblebees are all declining or fluctuating in number and there is no clear indication why. I urge everyone to get involved to help us gain a better understanding of how gardens support wildlife.”

Anyone with a garden can take part in the survey by completing a questionnaire available on the website at www.wildaboutgardens.org or by visiting an RHS Garden or contacting Cheshire Wildlife Trust for a survey form. Website users will also be able to view an online ID guide to the five species to observe in the survey. Survey forms must be returned by 22 September. They can be completed online or sent to ‘Wild About Gardens Discovery Survey 2006, The Wildlife Trusts, The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark NG24 1WT. The results will be published in December 2006 and will inform the advice given to wildlife gardening enthusiasts via the Wild About Gardens website, the RHS and The Wildlife Trusts.

Ends

Wild About Gardens

Wild About Gardens aims to bring the worlds of gardening and nature conservation closer together, to increase understanding of the significance of local wildlife character, celebrate what garden owners are already doing to support wildlife, and build on existing research into the wildlife potential of domestic gardens. The project’s website, www.wildaboutgardens.org, hosts an online discussion forum for visitors to share tips, ideas and stories about their experiences of wildlife in the garden on a county or UK-level.