NATURE lovers are being called on to embrace the call of the spring and sign up to be Wildlife Friends with the RSPCA.
Last year more than 2,000 people signed up for Wildlife Friends and completed a range of seasonal tasks aimed at helping wildlife to thrive in their own gardens and community green spaces. These included building bug hotels and cleaning bird feeders.
The RSPCA has relaunched Wildlife Friends and hope even more animal lovers can enjoy fun activities that will help protect and nurture wildlife.
By volunteering and taking action for animals in their communities, the those taking part will not only be helping wildlife but will be ensuring that the animal charity’s highly-skilled frontline staff have more time to focus on tackling cruelty and neglect.
Wildlife Friends enjoyed an inspiring start when social media influencer Esme Higgs visited RSPCA Mallydams Wood Wildlife Centre to learn about the work staff do rehabilitating wild animals so they can be released back into the wild.
Esme has generated a huge social media following promoting horse welfare, best practice in equestrianism and her own experiences of countryside life.
Her commitment to nature was enhanced further by a tour of the East Sussex centre, which included feeding seals their lunch, meeting two fox cubs that had recently been rescued from a building site and filling up the bird feeders in the woods as part of her Wildlife Friends tasks.
Esme said: “We all know our natural world is facing huge challenges but the great news is that everyone can do something to help. We need everyone for every animal. If you want to get involved, become a RSPCA Wildlife Friend to find lots of simple ways you can make life better for wildlife in your community.
“All these small acts of kindness don’t take long, but they’ll make a huge difference for animals, so join thousands of other people who care, and sign up today.”
For their first task of Spring, Wildlife Friends have been making a simple apple and seed bird feeder.
Other tasks to complete during the Spring include building a nest box for all kinds of wildlife in your garden, including bats, as well building neighbourhood corridors for wildlife such as hedgehogs.
Building bug hotels and planting wildlife-friendly plants to support the local ecosystem are also other tasks that have been set for later in the season.
The RSPCA’s lead wildlife officer Inspector Geoff Edmond has some invaluable tips about what kind of wildlife-friendly plants to sow.
He said: “There are many species you can plant that are beneficial for wildlife and can be enjoyed during the year. They include native shrubs such as Hawthorn and Bramble as well as Berberis, which flower in the spring to provide insect nectar, and produce berries in the autumn which the birds will enjoy
“Some shrubs like these do have thorns and are prickly but this provides extra safe nesting sites for birds. Something everyone can do easily is to sow wildflower seeds in containers, plant pots and gardens between April and May. They will add colour and beauty to your outdoor environment and provide nectar rich sources for bees, butterflies and other insects.
“It’s great fun seeing lovely flowers buzzing with activity on a late Spring or Summer’s day when you see beautiful butterflies feeding on your plants. Whatever you plant it will make a difference, and is the start of a journey with nature which you are taking to safeguard our wildlife.”
Last year RSPCA Wildlife Friends completed 1,653 tasks, the most popular of which were providing food for hedgehogs, taking part in a butterfly count and putting out a bird feeder.
This year the charity wants to recruit at least 2,500 new Wildlife Friends.
To become a RSPCA Wildlife Friend visit the charity’s website.
