The pitch is adapted from the novel Habitat Man and reimagines the start of the story.
An audio recording of the Pitch is below
The solutions covered in the story include:
- Solution 1: Carbon offsets
- Solution 2: Wildlife gardening
- Solution 3: Costing for nature
- Solution 4: Business Purpose
- Solution 5: Composting toilets
- Solution 6: Eco-Anxiety
You can find out more about biodiversity for a livable climate here
Ways to make your garden more wildlife friendly are covered in fictional form in the book Habitat Man.
When you ask ecologists their top tips the first is always to avoid pesticides – there are many ways such as companion planting and creating a biodiverse garden so that pests are eaten by their natural predators. Also it’s a question of attitude. Plants that thrive lin local conditions can usually cope with a few pests, it tends to be those that are not so suited to the local conditions that have trouble.
Another key suggestion is to install a pond – even small ones provide great benefits to wildlife.
Planting shrubs, trees and plants that thrive in your particular area works well and focus on those that are enjoyed by local birds and pollinators and insect life. For example, a local oak tree will support hundreds of species, where an imported oak, hardly any.
All food waste should be composted, and garden debris added or piled up to provide a habitat for invertebrates, hedgehogs etc. If you have enclosed compost bins on a flat surface they should be rat-proof. See here for a site that provides advice.
Install a water butt to ensure fresh water, especially useful during droughts.
An example report from a fictional UK wildlife gardener is here.
