Encouraging Biodiversity

Encouraging Biodiversity

Dr. Eleanor Ballard, Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland (CVNI)

What is biodiversity..?

In the simple terms, biodiversity is the “variety of life on Earth”. This includes all the animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms that live on our planet. Biodiversity is found from the window box in the back yard of an inner city terrace to the fields and woodlands that make up the Northern Irish landscape, to the deepest oceans and darkest rainforests and all the places in between. Biodiversity is everywhere and everyone has a role to play in encouraging it.

Why do we have to encourage it?

Loss of biodiversity is a global issue. With increased industrialisation, changes in farming practices, increased density of structures in our towns and cities and an ever increasing need for houses we are losing this vital resource. At the 1992 Rio Earth Summit the maintenance of global biodiversity was identified as a central principle in achieving sustainable development. 178 countries, including the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, signed the Convention on Biological Diversity, pledging to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. As a sentiment this is all very well, but what does biodiversity really mean to the average person on the street?

Green places in an urban or rural area obviously are a great resource for wildlife but they also give us, as humans, a place to relax, unwind, and grow food and flowers. However, the true importance of biodiversity is hard to overstate

The living organisms which make up our biodiversity, interacting among themselves and with the abiotic (non-living) environment, supply food, medicines, timber and fuel, and play a fundamental role in providing breathable air, conserving soils and stabilising climates.. It is estimated that 40% of the global economy is based on biological products and processes, including agriculture, biotechnology, medicinal development, fisheries and tourism.

An important fact relating to biodiversity that is sometimes overlooked, is that humans, as living things, are part of biodiversity. The actions of humans can be detrimental to biodiversity but by taking simple steps we can have a very positive impact.

What simple steps can we take to encourage biodiversity?

There is a wealth of information available about how we can encourage biodiversity and alleviate loss of this global resource. This article gives a very brief overview of actions that can be taken very easily.

One of the most recent and visible initiatives to encourage biodiversity is the “It’s in our Nature” campaign (www.biodiversityni.com) developed by the EHS Biodiversity Unit in partnership with a wide range of conservation groups and businesses. The campaign uses a specially devised logo to help people recognise events, initiatives and publications which can help raise your understanding of biodiversity. Take a look at the website for a list of organisations with which you can get involved and a list of tips to get you started.

Some of our local councils employ a biodiversity officer; all councils have an environmental remit and are a great first port of call to find out what’s going on in your local area. Use your council to discover what activities or initiatives are taking place. Monitoring the wildlife in Northern Ireland is important in assessing the state of our environment and is an important role that many of us can easily take on. Contact your local council to see if there are any monitoring projects in your area.

Planting native trees and wildflowers is an excellent and satisfying way of encouraging biodiversity. You don’t need a large area of land to encourage biodiversity either. A pot or container of wildflowers in a back yard or on the balcony of a flat is a great way of encouraging our native butterflies to feed on nectar. A small tree such as hazel, surrounded by native bluebells, will grow perfectly happily in a pot if other space is limited. Wildlife doesn’t have to be wild. If you don’t want to recreate a meadow or grassland, wildflowers can be planted neatly in a border or garden bed. You do however, need to concentrate on preparation to ensure good establishment and management of the plants once they are in the ground. Make sure that you buy your plants from a local nursery that specialises in native, nursery-grown stock. Never dig species up from the wild.

Encourage birds into your local environment. Birds play a vital role in food chains and encouraging birds is another fun and engaging way of helping biodiversity. Bird nesting boxes, feeding stations, bird baths and areas of shrubs and trees for them to nest and feed in, are all simple ways to encourage birds. See how the bird population and diversity of your garden or work place increases over time.

A wood pile need not be huge, but, if located in the right place could encourage some species of fungi, a range of mini beasts and may also encourage larger animals such as hedgehogs that may hibernate in it.

Composting is so simple and very rewarding. It can be carried out from a very small scale to a massive community scale. Peat bogs have been described as the Irish equivalent of the rainforests, yet most commercially available compost contains peat. To make compost merely gather uncooked kitchen waste, garden clippings and cuttings into a heap. There are plenty of ways to make your compost decompose more quickly; why not attend a training course? If space is a problem, why not consider vermiculture? Composting with a wormery, if done properly, is an odourless, low maintenance, small scale way of creating seriously good plant food.

Creating a wildlife pondmight require a bit more space than many back gardens can easily provide, but a water barrel garden is a great substitute. If you have the space, or there is a suitable area within your local community, why not have a go at creating a water-feature. A pond provides a secure water source for local wildlife as well as a home and breeding ground for amphibians and many insects. Furthermore, with proper health and safety measures, a pond can be an excellent educational resource.

Don’t just concentrate your efforts on creating new habitats, look around your local area. Are there old areas of trees or grassland that could be managed better for biodiversity? These could be in your village, town or city, your school, the place that you work or in your own garden. Could your local community apply for funding or is it possible to form a new group of interested parties to get the work done? There are grants available to work on sites accessible to the public.

Go on a training course or public event to learn about encouraging biodiversity. There’s a whole host of training and events out there, many of which are free. The “Managing for Biodiversity” initiative run by CVNI and funded by the Building Sustainable Prosperity programme offers training in a variety of skills and management techniques that people can use to manage for biodiversity.

When encouraging biodiversity in Northern Ireland we should make sure that we are not introducing plant and animal species that do not naturally occur on this island. Therefore, it is advisable that we get our plants from local sources. Species that are highly recommended for an English site may be wholly inappropriate for use in Northern Ireland. The UN Environment Programme states that the introduction of alien species is the second greatest threat to our biodiversity. Incidentally, the introduction of certain alien species is against the law and subject to a heavy financial penalty.

Probably the most important way we can help our biodiversity is by enjoying the actions we take to encourage it. If we can get out there and appreciate our biodiversity, that’s a start to encouraging it.

Places to find funding and grants:

Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland’s Free Trees Scheme www.nitc.org.uk/freetrees/freetrees.html

The Landfill Community Fund www.betterbelfast.org/intro.htm

Environment and Heritage Service www.ehsni.gov.uk/natural/grant/grant.shtml

BBC Breathing Places www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/lotterygrants

A few Internet Links for more information:

It’s in our Nature campaign www.biodiversityni.com

Habitas - information on Northern Ireland’s species www.habitas.org.uk

Managing for Biodiversity Initiative www.cvni.org/biodiversity

Conservation Volunteers biodiversity advice www.cvni.org/wildflowernursery/advice

Other non-Northern Irish information sites

www.wildlondon.org.uk/resources.php www.uksafari.com/gardening.htm www.spacefornature.co.uk