Environmentalists are encouraging islanders to stop gardening to help local wildlife

  • Jadzia Samuel reports

Environmentalists in Jersey are encouraging islanders to stop gardening and let their plants grow wild to help local wildlife.

Leaving grass to grow naturally, allowing wild flowers to flourish and letting ponds be used by birds, newts and frogs is the best way to encourage and protect bio-diversity in the island.

Avid botanist and Action for Wildlife Jersey campaigner, Alli Singleton, says "We've all got to do our little bit" to protect the future of local wildlife.

Alli says the best thing to do is leave gardens to grow naturally. Credit: ITV Channel TV

To encourage a variety of birds into gardens, Alli says a simple bird-feeder is best to attract robins, goldfinches and sparrows.

In terms of insects, allowing grass to grow tall and spread across the garden is the best way to provide shelter for new life.

Alli says: "With the grass, just let it grow. I've got some lovely tussocks of grass and that is so important because the insects lay their eggs in big tussocks like that.

"Because in the spring those eggs will hatch and you'll get your insects back in the garden."

Letting grass grow provides shelter for wildlife. Credit: ITV Channel TV