Protect Habitats and Encourage Biodiversity

Make your garden an attractive habitat for wildlife.

• Plant a variety of flowers. Insects will be attracted to nectar-rich flowers, and birds will eat the flower seeds when food is scarce in winter. This will also help to disperse these seeds to other areas.
  
  

• Plant some shrubs and trees to provide shelter for animals. Some bushes will also bear fruit, which will be a valuable source of food during winter.
  
  

•  You could also build a bird table and put seeds and scraps on it for birds during the winter months.   
  
  

• By putting a pond and some aquatic plants in your garden, you would provide water for the wildlife. Ponds are also an ideal habitat for frogs.
  

For more information on the conservation of habitats and species in Ireland, view the National Parks and Wildlife Service website at http://www.npws.ie/.