Existing Trees:
Existing mature trees are our most valuable asset in terms of capturing and storing carbon over the crucial next ten year window (the vast bulk of the carbon that a tree sequesters during its lifetime only gets harnessed once the tree is mature). They need our absolute protection. If you are planning an extension or any other landscaping work then treat any existing mature trees as an asset and integral enhancement of your design rather than an obstacle. If it is absolutely necessary to prune part of a mature tree for some reason (e.g. a wind-damaged limb) then make sure the timber is mulched rather than burned, as the former returns carbon to the soil whereas the latter releases it into the atmosphere as more CO2.
New Trees:
If you aren’t fortunate enough to have existing mature trees on your property then consider planting some native species if you would like to increase your privacy or provide shade to shelter from the increasingly hot summers. A 6ft sapling of a faster growing species such as silver birch and rowan will easily create a useful amount of both shade and privacy within a decade. Trees also provide wonderful habitats for a very wide range of other organisms from mosses and lichens to insects, birds and small mammals.
Fencing:
Replace fencing with native hedging: it is highly likely that climate breakdown will increase the severity of storms and autumn gales. If you are planning new fencing or your existing fence gets damaged, then consider mixed native hedging as a replacement. It is more wind-resistant, supports a wide variety of wildlife and offers access for species such as hedgehogs which can’t negotiate hard boundaries such as wooden fencing.
Embrace the Wildness:
Celebrate the natural beauty of a garden which is allowed to develop more freely. “No Mow May” is particularly important in terms of encouraging insect life and the rest of the ecosystem they support, however less used corners of the garden can also be left for much longer to create even more benefit particularly if they can be enhanced with an old log pile. Create a wild section at the end of the garden.
Diverse Planting:
Make sure you are contributing to the diversity of your garden directly too, by planting a wide variety of plants which flower over the whole course of the growing year rather than larger numbers of a few favourite plant species.
A Water Feature:
Adding water features can add a wonderfully rich additional dimension to the biodiversity of your garden, and can also act as a focal point for children playing as they naturally discover and start learning about the ecosystem within which we live.
Composting:
Compost heaps provide an environment which will support a wide range of worms and insects which will both enrich the soil and feed the other inhabitants of your garden. Moreover, creating your own compost mitigates the transportation carbon footprint of commercial compost you might otherwise have purchased from a garden centre.
Talk to your friends and neighbours:
Pass on the message of the little actions that people can take to help nurture nature for the benefit of all. Become a member of Surrey Wildlife Trust, if you can, and find out lots of other practical ideas.
Share ideas with the people who live in your road or community. Can you get some like-minded people together to form a tree planting group (on verges and untapped small piece of land), with permission of course!
Encourage your employer to do something to benefit nature with their land.