By Alex Rose

Conserving our natural environment can seem daunting and out of our control, but each of us can make a meaningful difference with a handful of small personal actions.

Many of us have become increasingly aware of the diminishing wildlife in our local community, for example, less hedgehog sightings and fewer butterflies and bees. This is statistically evidenced by the Surrey Nature Partnership’s 2017 report, ‘The State Of Surrey’s Nature’, who’s headline conclusions state that “56% of UK wildlife species have shown a declining population trend between 1970 and 2013” and that “15% of all UK wildlife is either threatened with extinction or is extinct already”. While this may seem dire, each one of us can support our local environment through any of these actions.

One of these declining species is the British suburban hedgehog. The average hedgehog travels 2 km every night, so this rapid decrease in population is partly due to a loss of access to areas rich with insect life like gardens that hedgehogs pass through. This is caused by man made barriers such as fences. However, there is a way for us to combat this obstacle and do our part in preventing further decline of the hedgehog. The Wildlife Trust suggests creating ‘hedgehog holes’ along the bottom of our fences for ease of passage. While these might seem like eyesores, there are plenty of hedgehog hole decorations and small signposts to be found online that can make them a seamless part of your garden. This could also be a fun project for young children. To amplify the benefit to our local hedgehogs, invite your neighbours to do the same. Other small ways of helping to ensure their survival are leaving out small amounts of dog or cat food, pet biscuits and water (not milk, as this can make them very ill), and avoiding the use of pesticides and slug pellets.

Sadly, the bee population has been a matter of concern for many years, as bees act as our most important pollinators. This role is vital to our ecosystem, as a third of what we eat depends on pollinators, yet, due to habitat loss (as well as other factors) their numbers are in decline. Luckily, there are several ways to aid and support your local bees. Firstly, by being generous to bees that you encounter around your house; when you see a bee struggling with tiredness, a spoonful of sugar-water can do wonders, as well as help in finding a window or exit. Another way to help is by cultivating a bee-friendly garden. This can be achieved through growing plenty of flowers, or making a bee hotel, another fun project for children with plenty of resources online.

Rewilding is the process of allowing nature to take its course in natural spaces.

Another hugely beneficial action that you can take is rewilding. Rewilding is the process of allowing nature to take its course in natural spaces. On a larger scale, this can include reintroducing predators and keystone species, and protecting areas abundant in ecological functions in order to create and preserve stable, self-sustaining ecosystems, and promote near pre-human levels of biodiversity. On a smaller, back-garden scale, there are many ways of encouraging a similar effect. Not mowing segments of your garden is one of these ways. Leaving some grass to grow can help many species of plants and insects and can be hugely rewarding. Other ways of rewilding your garden are growing a tree or creating a log pile or compost heap to allow decay. It’s important not to view any of these as ‘messy’, but as potential homes to many endangered species.

Community gardens are collaborative projects on natural areas where groups of people share in the maintenance and products of the garden. These communities are a great way to stay in touch with nature and offer great environmental benefits such as reducing waste through compost programs, reducing food miles and creating a more sustainable system. Locally, Rosamund Community Garden, based in Pewley Down, Guildford, is a “peaceful, wildlife haven where volunteers gather to sew, grow, build and learn together in tune with nature”. Rosamund Community Garden offers a number of regular events, such as Big Job Sundays and Apple Pressing as well as the upcoming Spring Beltane Celebration on the 15th of May. They welcome members and visitors alike. For more information, visit their website: www.guildfordcommunitygarden.org.uk

In the face of constantly devastating environmental changes, it can be difficult to be aware of the impact that small actions can make, but continually learning about nature and how we can help is a big step forward. Other ways of helping include walking instead of taking a car where possible, using natural grass in favour of AstroTurf, leaving bird baths/food in your garden to aid local birds, and buying organically/from local farmer’s markets if possible.

The natural environment around us is valuable, as it supports our survival, fosters biodiversity and offers remarkable beauty.

The natural environment around us is valuable, as it supports our survival, fosters biodiversity and offers remark-able beauty. Burpham itself (and its surrounding area) offers its own share of interesting species and picturesque places, such as the Burpham Nature Reserve, the River Wey, Newland’s Corner and St Martha’s Hill.

These places enrich our lives and offer peace and joy to many people, and it is our responsibility to guard and protect our natural environment for future generations to enjoy.