Over the past 50 years we’ve seen declines in two thirds of the UK’s plant and animal species, for a range of reasons, including loss of habitat. Many of our once-regular garden visitors – hedgehogs, house sparrows and common frogs, for example – are much less common.

But together we can make a difference. Our gardens and green spaces have tremendous potential to support wildlife – join our campaign to turn the UK’s estimated 24 million gardens into a network of mini nature reserves.
\nEach year, we explore a theme that inspires action for an animal or habitat that needs our help.

Welcoming swifts, swallows and martins

High fliers soaring in all the way from Africa, swifts, swallows and martins are treasured summer visitors to the UK. However, their numbers are in decline and sadly, climate change and human interference are their biggest threats.
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\nSwifts and house martins were recently added to the Red List, meaning they are globally threatened, have suffered severe declines over the past 25 years and need urgent conservation action.

Even though they spend so much time on the wing, there is plenty we can do to support them in the garden. Build a bog garden to help provide nesting materials, grow insect friendly plants and let your grass grow longer to combat the food shortage that migratory birds face, or you can build a swift box to host a swift at home.
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\nMake a pledge
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\nHelen Bostock, RHS Senior Horticultural Advisor, explained: “Anyone lucky enough to share their homes with nesting swallows, swifts or house martins will understand how magical these birds are, but also how vulnerable; with the numbers of those returning each summer dropping year on year. The UK’s 30 million gardeners have an important part to play in helping revive their populations – from tailoring planting choices to include insect favourites and embracing bare patches for the benefit of nest building, people can make small-scale changes that will reap big rewards.”
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\nDownload your free gardening guide and add your pledged patch to the UK-wide digital map: