Chris Packham calls on families to create wildlife sanctuaries in their gardens and on their windowsills The TV presenter is fronting a campaign by RSPB, The Wildlife Trust and The Woodland Trust

UK households could give nature a massive boost by seeing their gardens, balconies, patios and windowsills as potential wildlife sanctuaries, according to the television presenter Chris Packham.

Planting trees, installing ponds – however small – and building ‘bug hotels’ from leaves and wood are among 10 measures people can take that would work wonders for biodiversity, he said.

A major study published last month revealed that 41 per cent of UK species have declined since the 1970s as the expansion of farming has sharply reduced the amount of suitable habitats and climate change has made conditions tougher.

The i newsletter latest news and analysis Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription.

And new government figures, released today, showed birds which breed and feed on the 75 per cent of UK land which is farmed have seen declines of 55 per cent since 1970s.

24 million gardens in UK

But with an estimated 24 million gardens covering an area the size of Suffolk, households can make a significant contribution to restoring the country’s depleted nature, according to a new campaign, led by Mr Packham, in conjunction with the RSPB, the Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust.

“There is always a perception that wildlife prospers more profitably outside of surburban and urban areas. But we know in fact that it can do very well inside these areas and that people can make a real difference,” said Mr Packham.

“At the same time, the countryside is an increasingly difficult place to look after wildlife because of intensive agriculture, ongoing development, climate change and loss of habitat. As we continue to grow our population, build more houses and hopefully create more gardens, they could become a significant new source of wildlife,” he said.

‘There is always a perception that wildlife prospers more profitably outside of surburban and urban areas’ Chris Packham

Houses without gardens, meanwhile, can do their bit by loading their balconies and windowsills with wildlife as every little bit helps.

Wildlife thrive in connected habitats

That said, the bigger the area given over to wildlife the better – and where possible, people should encourage their neighbours to follow suit as nature prospers more when it has more ‘connected’ space to roam, according to the campaign.

If households only do one thing, where possible they should create a pond, Mr Packham suggests.

“There’s very often a misconception with ponds. People think a pond very often has to be a lake. But if you stick a bucket into your garden, or a baby’s bath, or a bowl and keep it topped up with water it will make a difference.”

A pond doesn’t have to be big

“I remember we had a baby’s bath sunk into our garden, which filled with tadpoles, rat tailed maggots and mosquito larvae. I was always at its edge with a bowl and spoon teasing those things out, trying to work out what they were and what they were doing and generally marvelling at them. It doesn’t have to be big to be beautiful when it’s a pond.”

Mr Packham’s call is made to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the National Lottery, which has invested more than £800 million in wildlife projects, such as the Woodbury Wetlands in Hackney, since it began. He said that investment had played a key role in the battle to preserve biodiversity in the UK.

Chris Packham’s ten tips for turning your garden into a wildlife sanctuary