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Hedgehog - the nation’s favourite
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This weeks feature
The humble hedgehog has been voted the nation’s favourite garden creature in a survey carried out by the Royal Horticultural Society and The Wildlife Trusts.
The survey, part of the Wild About Gardens project, also placed the robin, frog, blackbird and ladybird in the top ten. Almost all respondents believed that “gardeners should do more to support wildlife” and that “gardeners can come to the rescue of species in decline”.
Simon Thornton-Wood, Assistant Director of Science and Learning for the Royal Horticultural Society, said: “These results say a lot about the public’s attitude to garden wildlife.
“The most popular reasons given for choosing particular creatures indicates people connect on an emotional level with wildlife in their garden. |
The nation's favourite. |
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“We feel affection for creatures that enhance our own enjoyment of the outdoors. Several of the creatures in our top ten eat garden pests, but this was only the fourth most popular reason for choosing them behind ‘it’s pretty’, ‘it’s colourful’ and ‘it’s entertaining to watch’.”
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Importance of spiders ignored. |
He added, “This feel-good factor can be a useful stepping stone to encouraging garden-owners to take a more practical role in supporting biodiversity, but it can also distort reality, leading people to ignore the importance or plight of other less attractive or ‘entertaining’ creatures such as spiders or stag beetles which are nowhere to be seen in the list.”
Stephanie Hilborne, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “It appears common myths are gradually disappearing as most respondents said gardening for wildlife doesn’t mean a messy and unsightly garden and that their garden wasn’t too small for wildlife. |
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“I hope we have generated enough enthusiasm in people to learn more about how they can contribute to increasing and supporting garden wildlife.” |
Wild About Gardens has been running at RHS Gardens, Wildlife Trust centres and at www.wildaboutgardens.org since its launch in April 2005. The project aims to bring the worlds of gardening and nature conservation closer together, to increase understanding of the significance of local wildlife character, celebrate what garen owners are already doing to support wildlife, and build on existing research into the wildlife potential of domestic gardens. |
Bringing gardens and nature closer together. |
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