NearbyWild – What’s the Idea ?

Nature is full of surprises! You never know quite what you are going to see in your garden or local patch. It may be a beautiful orange-tip butterfly laying its eggs in spring on cuckoo flower; a hedgehog at dusk on a summer’s evening, the sighting of a vibrant blue kingfisher in your local stream, or an overwintering redwing or fieldfare feeding on berries.

Oxeye Daisies
Oxeye Daisies in a summer meadow (Jo Cartmell)
Discover the magic and beauty of the nearby wild

We hope to inspire you to explore your garden and local area to see wildlife that is sometimes overlooked or even help them to return.

We provide Quick Guides to help you to distinguish wildlife that you may encounter and will expand our list over this year.

You can help and see more wildlife by providing habitat such as a native wildflower meadow, because 97% have now been lost on the UK’s farmland. A lawn can become a beautiful mini wildflower meadow, attracting bees, butterflies, birds, grasshoppers, damselflies and much more, as you can read in Jo’s Mini Meadow blog.

A field can be transformed into a wildflower meadow in your local area, where you might also be able to see roe deer and possibly a barn owl or kestrel hunting for field voles.

Planting native hedgerows will provide food and nesting opportunities for many birds. Hedgerows are one of the most species rich habitats that you can grow for wildlife and are homes for hedgehogs.

Orchard meadows, whether large or small, will benefit both wildlife and you by providing blossom and fruit.

Creating a pond is another great wildlife habitat for your garden.

If you provide homes for wildlife they have an amazing ability to find them!
Please see Get Started to find out how to bring wildlife to your patch and tell us about what you find.