How to help wildlife with RSPB President Dr Amir Khan

Dr Amir lives in a village just outside of Leeds and since moving there around ten years ago, he has transformed it into a welcoming space for wildlife, so much so that it’s even been featured on BBC Gardeners’ World. Reflecting on what he’s learned about helping wildlife, he suggests three key ways to make a difference: “It’s definitely plant the right plants, put out food and add a wildlife pond.”

Putting in a pond was one of the first things he did:

“We dug out the pond in October and by March we had Frogs there and it was amazing. Now every year we get frogspawn, always around Valentine's Day! That's been so lovely. We also get quite a few newts, loads of insects, and invertebrates that skirt on top of the pond too.”  

Amir also suggests that a good wildlife garden starts with the plants and, in particular, having plants that flower at different times of the year, so that there is always something for the insects.  

“You need to have plants that start flowering fairly early on in the year, and then moving through the year having different plants that come out, so that there is food for the pollinators throughout the year. At the moment we have lots of bees around the lilac, but in winter we’ve got mahonia that comes out. 

“We've got lavender coming through now which is really popular. It's great for insects, but it's just gorgeous for us too. You go outside and there's these beautiful plants that are not just looking gorgeous but are also working for the insects around them.” 

A variety of plants also helps cater for different creatures, providing different habitats and giving the garden structure.   

“We’ve loads of climbers that go over the fence and up the house. I think we've got a Wren nesting in the ivy actually. The ivy is really popular. Other climbers we have are honeysuckle and loads of different types of clematis.” 

“Having a variety of plants gives the garden structure as well. So we have three fairly smallish to medium-sized trees. We planted them because we want to create that place where we're hoping birds will nest, because there's nothing nicer is there!”  

“We've got an oak tree in the bottom of the garden, a weeping willow, which goes well with the pond. I wanted to create a Monet painting! And we've got a crab apple tree, which is so popular with wildlife throughout the year – the flowers for the bees, and then when the fruits come, the Blackbirds just devour them! So that's really nice.”

You can also help wildlife by putting out food. As Amir explains: “Put food out for whatever creature you want in your garden, whether it's birds or Hedgehogs or whatever.  Feed them. And then they will come. They'll tell their friends too!” 

He likes to think of his garden as a “restaurant with plenty of choice” and has around 12 feeders: “We have sunflower hearts, because that's what the finches love the most. Then there's Niger seeds which they also like. And then peanuts for the Blue Tits and Great Tits. And we bought mealworms because the Robins and the tits like them as well. We’ve got suet squares too, that the Blackbirds love, as well as the Starlings.” 

News of this bountiful restaurant has clearly got out!

“We have some beautiful birds. We get loads of Goldfinches, lots of Greenfinches, three pairs of Bullfinches that come now. Lots of Blue Tits and Great Tits. Around this time of year – towards the end of May and June – the Starlings will bring their babies. It’s a really intense two weeks, when the Starlings come down. They are the noisiest but most gorgeous things. The babies are very demanding! 

“We've also had Goldcrests. We've even had a couple of Firecrests, so we’ve got lots of different birds. Then overhead, we get Red Kites and, of course, we get the odd Sparrowhawk coming in.” 

Amir also puts out kitten biscuits for the six Hedgehogs that regularly visit. Two of these are rescue Hedgehogs that he looked after one winter on behalf of a wildlife rescue charity.  

“Our job was to fatten them up over winter. So we had them from October through to April. We had them in the house. My mum knitted blankets for them and in the day they’d just roll themselves up in the blankets. Then at night, we’d give them the run of the utility room because they need to walk. So we often found like puddles of wee and poo behind the washing machine, it was like a constant clean up job! We still see them in the garden which is really sweet. But I was really happy to see them go free!” 

Amir is also an NHS doctor and the resident doctor on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, and he is clear on the wide-ranging health benefits of having a wildlife-friendly space.  

“Having wildlife in your garden is really good for your physical and mental health. You're doing a physical activity which is really important for your cardiovascular health, your blood pressure, your blood sugars, all of that kind of the thing that comes with doing a tough physical job.  

“But what you're also doing when you're gardening – for example, if you're digging things with a spade – you're using a lot of your coordination skills, which is a different part of your brain to the other things that you might be doing throughout the day. And that can help reduce the risk of things like dementia. It’s been shown that people who live with dementia, who go outside and do these kinds of physical activities can reduce the rate at which dementia progresses. The Alzheimer's Society recommend it as one of their activities. It also improves your coordination as you get older and reduces your risk of falls.

“Then it's great for your mental health as well. We all know we feel better when we we've been outside. We know that it reduces your stress hormone cortisol, increases your dopamine and serotonin levels when you're out in green spaces like gardens.  

“So all of this has a really long-term positive effect on your health and that goes alongside watching nature as well. You know, just being mindful in nature and watching the insects at work, watching the bees, watching whatever wildlife that comes into your garden, that has a positive mental effect.” 

While the benefits to ourselves are clearly huge, Amir is also passionate that it’s vital we take action for nature in our outdoor spaces to help wildlife for its own sake.  

“From the animal’s point of view and the wildlife’s points of view, you know gardens make up a huge amount of green space and this country is really nature depleted. So often gardens can be a haven and a respite for weary animals who are looking for somewhere to eat, sleep, drink, mate, all of those things.  

“I always say gardens are a bit like kebab shops at two o’clock in the morning and animals are either wanting to fight, mate or eat! They need these spaces. They need us to share our spaces with them and we need to make it inviting for them. So for their sake and their survival it's important that we do welcome nature into our gardens.” 

Finally, Amir also recommends taking action with others where possible:  

“The other thing I would say, is get everyone in your house involved – whether kids, partners, parents or friends. It's a really good way for bonding to take place when you're doing something as a family or as a group of people. When you're out there doing an activity as a group, you release this hormone called oxytocin and that is the love hormone, and it connects you with those people. That's why teammates have those strong bonds with each other because they're doing something collectively for that for a single goal.

“When you're out in the garden, with your children or your mum or your husband or wife or friends or if you're in a community garden and doing something together, then inside your body, you've got those happy hormones going on. You’ve got this love hormone, and oxytocin really bonds you, in a really pleasant way. And it also really relaxes you.”  

With so many benefits to helping wildlife in our outdoor spaces – both for nature and ourselves – it’s easy to see why Amir is so keen for everyone to take action!