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wishes to acknowledge the financial support of Natural England for this website
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Home > What Can I Do?
There are lots of things you can
do to conserve nature. Here are some ideas for you to help Bedfordshire and
Luton's
wildlife:
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If you don't have a
garden, try growing wildflowers in baskets like these. Photo © English
Nature |
Make a home for wildlife
-
Plant a patch of wildflowers in your garden, or let a corner of
your yard grow wild. If you do plant, be sure to use seeds from your area.
Floralocale can help you find a
supplier.
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Put up a
bird box or
bat box
on your property.
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Feed the birds with your waste cooking fat. Order a “fat trap”
and get the recipe from the
Anglian Water website.
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Create a
wildlife pond in your garden. A good pond provides habitat for insects and
amphibians, and a natural bird bath too!
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Photo by Michael
Connors. www.morguefile.com |
Cut
down on chemicals
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Use
environmentally friendly cleaning products in your home. Try cleaning your
windows with vinegar and newspaper, or descale your kettle with lemon juice.
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Keep your garden pesticide-free. Try using organic alternatives
or even better garden with wild flowers and trees instead. This will attract
birds, hedgehogs and other predators who will feed on insect pests.
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Dispose of chemicals properly. Batteries, medicines, mobile
phones, paint and motor oil are just some of the many household items that
contain potentially dangerous chemicals. Contact your local authority for
guidance on how to dispose of them.
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Photo by Arturo
Delfin. www.morguefile.com |
Clear the air
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Buy locally-produced food. Trucks transporting local food don’t
have to drive as far, so they don’t release as much pollution. Buying local
food also supports the farmers in your community!
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Think twice about that car trip. If you normally drive to work
or school, resolve to take public transit once a week. Or even better, walk or
ride your bike – you’ll get the added benefit of exercise!
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If you fly somewhere, consider offsetting your carbon
emissions. Organisations like Myclimate
UK allow you to support projects that offset the impact that your flight
has on our climate. The money is put towards projects that replace fossil
fuels with solar or biomass energy.
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Photo © English
Nature |
Work for wildlife
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Volunteer your time! Local trusts and other organisations are
often looking for people to help out, and are very grateful for volunteers. If
you’re into on-the-ground activities, check out the
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers
and sign up for one of their projects.
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Help out with one of the many surveying and
recording schemes happening around the country. Check out our
Help Wanted section for more information.
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Consider a career in nature conservation: it’s much more than
birds and bunnies! From artists to zookeepers, there are lots of jobs that
help the environment. Keep an eye on our website for career ideas in our new
“A Week in the Life” feature.
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Be a model for others. Through your own behaviour you can
influence others to be nature-friendly.
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Soay ram. The Soay
produces lightweight fleece and excellent mutton. Photo by Owen Jones |
Put your money where your mouth
is
-
Fancy something a little different for dinner? How about chops
or a roast from a rare breed of pig or cattle? Buying rare breed meat, wool or
other products helps preserve our farm heritage. The
Rare Breeds Survival Trust website
includes a list of accredited butchers.
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Make a donation to a local conservation charity. Even a small
amount can go a long way.
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Be a green consumer. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Pick one
product to start and resolve to pay the little bit of extra money for the
environmentally sustainable variety. How about organic eggs, recycled toilet
tissue, rechargeable batteries or computer paper from sustainably managed
forests?
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If you have financial investments, consider putting some – or
all – of them into eco- or green funds.
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Breathing Places is a ground
breaking collaboration between the BBC and leading wildlife and conservation
organisations
Why not help to create a
breathing place where you live?
For more information go to:
bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces
The
Summer 08 issue of Beds BioNews is out! Have a look at what we're up to!
The May 2008 issue of the Beds & Luton Geology Group
newsletter is out! Click
here to find out the latest scoop!
The
2008 Community Tree Trust woodland wildflowers seed collection days are
being held on June 22, June 29 and July 20. Check out their
website for full
details!
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