5 Nature Based New Year’s Resolutions

I’m not sure about our readers here, but I can quite often set myself New Year’s resolutions and then never actually do them. My favourite one was when I said I would go plastic-free for a month and failed on the first day because I purchased myself a chocolate bar!

Sometimes I struggle to even find a resolution to follow and then end up doing nothing at all. Now I know not everyone thinks they are a good idea, but here at NESBiP we thought we’d give you 5 easy nature-based New Year’s resolutions to help motivate you to protect your local biodiversity.

5 Nature-Based New Year’s Resolutions

1. Tidy up your wildlife sightings and submit them!

Every record is important. While rare species may be more exciting to find, it is very important to record common species too. All records help to build up a more comprehensive understanding of the natural world in which we live and can help ensure that decisions, which may affect habitat and species, are made with the best available knowledge. You can submit individual sightings to NESBReC or collect your sightings from the year on this spreadsheet and send an email across to NESBReC.

2. Chill out and leave your garden alone!

Leaf litter and other garden “messes” are incredibly important for our hibernating insects and mammals. They are an important food source for birds and mammals. And they may also host butterfly and moth eggs. So relaxed, leave those leaves alone! Or why not learn how to do some home composting? Here is a great blog from Butterfly Conservation with more winter garden jobs.

Car park verge that is taking part in Let It Bloom June, a small urban pond, tree planting and other nature-linked events can be very rewarding.

3. Join the No Mow May and Let it Bloom June Campaigns

By agreeing to leave your mower alone in May and June, you can not only save wildlife but also reduce your electricity/fuel bill. Allowing wildflowers and “weeds” to grow helps struggling pollinators by providing a native pollen food source.

Want to do a little more? Why not collect wildflower seeds and grow your own plants? Read our 10 Things We Learnt From Our Wildflower & Scything Workshops blog to learn more. Or head over to our native plant’s webpage to see what plants are suitable for your greenspace.

4. Build a pond, hedgehog house, or bird or bat box – or maybe all 4!

Creating homes for wildlife is just as important as providing a food source. Be sure to check which homes are suitable for the animals visiting your garden. Even different birds prefer different bird boxes. Check out our adding animal homes page for more information. Swifts, hedgehogs and the northern damselfly are three of NESBiP’s Big 5. Check out our page on them to learn more about how to specifically help them!

5. 

Thinking about joining a gym but never quite sticking to that resolution? Try something different this year! Join a local tree, hedge or wildflower plug-planting event, help with a beach or riverbank clean-up, or even look for a scything workshop. These activities are not only fantastic for your physical health—they also make a real difference for local biodiversity. NESBiP, EGCP, Aberdeen City Rangers, Aberdeenshire Rangers, Ury Riverside Park, and so many more run these sorts of events in North East Scotland. Follow us on social media to keep up to date on any upcoming events.

Bonus Resolution: Sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date!

Still not convinced you’ll remember to continue being motivated to follow this 5 nature-based New Year’s resolution? Not to worry we’ve got you! Sign up to our newsletter and recieveing monthly updates of inspiration. You can check out our past newsletters here.

Submit your records to help nature, leave your leaf pile for sheltering minibeasts and help NESBiP Big 5