Keep 'Bee’ in Britain by making gardens wildlife sanctuaries

New research has revealed the top five UK cities that are rich with wildlife while providing top tips on how to keep British gardens' ecosystems thriving this summer.
Bee the one to save wildlife!Bee the one to save wildlife!
Bee the one to save wildlife!

Bristol took the number one spot with 7,940 species, home to the Eastern Grey Squirrel and Speckled Wood Butterfly, followed by Leicester (5,840 species) and Edinburgh (5,285 species).

OnBuy, the UK’s third largest general marketplace, has revealed a list of the most biodiverse cities in the UK. The brand’s goal is to encourage Brits to not only enjoy, but to nurture their gardens this summer, in the hope of providing sanctuary to some of the UK’s most prominent wildlife.

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Last year the Woodland Trust spent £76.1 million of charitable Brit’s donations¹ on conserving, protecting, and saving British Wildlife. When comparing this with how much Brits spend on their own gardens, OnBuy found that UK households are spending twenty-four times as much (£1.85 billion)² on plants, flowers and other gardening goods.

Make your garden wildlife sanctuaryMake your garden wildlife sanctuary
Make your garden wildlife sanctuary

There has been a 33 per cent increase in spendenture over the past five years, suggesting Brits are getting more involved with gardening, but animal conservation is not necessarily a main priority when it comes to renovating their back gardens.

The brand used data from the National Biodiversity Network Atlas to determine which cities in the UK have the densest populations of different types of insects and mammals, highlighting the most common species in each of the categories, and how to attract them into people’s gardens.

Further information, and tips on how to attract and care for these animals can be found at https://www.onbuy.com/gb/blog/make-your-garden-a-wildlife-sanctuary-this-summer~a748/ site.

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The UK has lost almost half of its wildlife and plant species as a result of human and land development since the Industrial Revolution³, and without change, this number will continue to grow.

Nectar collectors need you!Nectar collectors need you!
Nectar collectors need you!

In Britain an insect particularly at risk of extinction is the bumblebee, notably the great yellow bumblebee and shrill carder bumblebee. The UK has already lost 23 species of bee and flower-visiting wasp species since 1850.

In order to help prevent these native insects from declining further, Brits can implement simple tips and tricks when gardening to help keep the British ecosystem alive.

Liam Tickner, Category Manager at OnBuy, said: “We’re a nation known for its bad weather, but when summer comes, we all love to sunbathe, have a paddle, and enjoy a barbecue in our gardens. But what about learning how to make the most of our gardens all year round, with the added benefits of helping British wildlife.

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“We were surprised by the range of species that can be found around the UK, and how easy it can be to make minor adjustments to your garden, that have the potential to make a great difference to the ecosystem. We hope our research encourages Brits to be more mindful of their surroundings, teach them how to nurture their gardens, and take care of the life that is thriving within it.”

Highlights include Leicester’s Common carder bee, Edinburgh’s Common brown bat and Stoke-on-Trent’s Western European hedgehog. These popular nocturnal animals are always looking for somewhere to stay for the night with gardens currently often unsuitable.