The housing crisis in the Westcountry is well known – many people in the region can't afford homes – but it seems our wildlife might be sharing a similar fate, which is why the RSPB yesterday launched a campaign to tackle the crisis which is hitting our natural world.
The crusade comes a month after 25 wildlife organisations released the groundbreaking State of Nature report which revealed that 60 per cent of the wildlife species studied have declined over recent decades.
Now the RSPB hopes to inspire people in the South West to help towards creating a million new homes for nature across the UK.
Many garden favourites in the region were among the creatures shown to be in serious trouble – including starlings, hedgehogs, some butterflies and ladybirds.
Experts say things will only get worse unless more is done to provide better habitats.
Getting individuals and families across the Westcountry to act for nature in their own gardens is the first part of a package of actions that the RSPB is launching in response to the State of Nature.
Over the next few months, the charity will also be outlining what businesses, communities and politicians in the county can do, as well as detailing the RSPB's own plans for saving nature.
RSPB Westcountry spokesman, Tony Whitehead, told the Western Morning News: "Nature in the UK is in trouble and some of our more familiar garden species are amongst those suffering serious declines. Westcountry gardens provide a valuable lifeline for species like starlings, toads, hedgehogs and butterflies, which are struggling to find homes in the wider countryside.
"Although the overall problem is huge, the solution can start on a small scale, right on our doorsteps. It doesn't matter what sort of garden you have, what size it is, or even if you have no garden at all, we need everyone to help by turning their outside space into a wildlife haven."
Mr Whitehead went on: "The more people that get involved in our Giving Nature a Home campaign the better. Our aim is to provide one million homes for nature across the UK, because if there's no home for nature, then there's no nature – it really is that serious."
TV homes expert Linda Barker is one of the famous faces supporting the campaign. She said: "To me, having wildlife in your garden is the perfect finishing touch to any home. Planting wild flowers, digging a pond or creating a log pile for bugs is not just a good way of getting creative and making your garden more attractive, but it will also benefit threatened garden wildlife at the same time.
"Individual actions will make a difference and start to help tackle the lack of habitats for some of our wild creatures."
Linda added. "In my garden I've put up a nest box for birds and planted nectar-rich flowers to attract bees. If everyone can do just one thing and gave nature a home in their outside space it would be amazing – together we can make a big difference."
To help spread the word, the RSPB has joined up with the property website, Rightmove, to help promote the campaign to homeowners, renters and those looking to get on to the property ladder.
Matt James from Rightmove, said: "Though we're more used to helping people find a home than helping them build one, when the RSPB told us about the parlous position of some of the UK's favourite species we felt compelled to throw our support behind the campaign."
Apart from launching a television advertising campaign many of the RSPB's reserves will be running events and activities linked to Giving Nature a Home.
And the Giving Nature a Home website will give everyone access to expert advice about helping nature in any outside space – whether it's a huge garden or a small planting tub on balcony.
To find out more visit www.rspb.org.uk/reserves and www.rspb.org.uk/homes
