Have you heard about the catastrophic decline in insects? There’s been a 76% drop in insect life in the past 20 years. “If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos” E.O. Wilson.
But don’t feel helpless – get informed and watch our Biodiversity Emergency webinar to learn more and gain some very practical advice.
And here are six steps you can take right now:
Step 1: never use harmful pesticides (sign our pledge and go pesticide free).
Step 2: put pressure on your local plant centre or DIY store to stop stocking harmful pesticides
Step 3: Let Lambeth Council know that you no longer want your street or estate sprayed with harmful pesticide. Contact your local councillor and streetchampions@lambeth.gov.uk. Or email us today for more information – incrediblelambeth@gmail.com
Step 4: ‘Say No to the Mow’: let your grass grow longer, or if it’s not your lawn, put pressure on your Management to get the contractors to mow less regularly (hashtag nomowzone). PlantLife are running a campaign.
Step 5: plant pollinator-friendly plants. For bees of all kinds, the two single best plants are willows and brambles. There’s a bee plant list at https://www.cotswoldgardenflowers.net/some-hints-and-tips/. Pollinators generally love buddleia, solidago, hylotelephium (formerly known as sedum), ivy, daisies of all kinds, fennel and other umbellifers. For caterpillars: nettles, ivy, mustard, garlic, birds-foot trefoil, holly and rhamnus. Register with Grow Wild for guidance on wildflower planting.
Step 6: make or buy a bee hotel – it’s as simple as drilling some holes in a block of wood! (IEL plans to hold a bee hotel workshop soon!)