LIFESTYLE NEWS - Duncan Butchart is a keen observer of the natural world and has worked as an illustrator, writer and ecotourism consultant.
He has worked in 11 African countries and travelled extensively worldwide, writing articles on the birds and other wildlife of Australia, Borneo, Thailand, Costa Rica, Peru, Brazil and India.
An enthusiastic gardener, Duncan Butchard has created inviting spaces for birds – and other wildlife – where he’s lived in Johannesburg, Nelspruit and Hermanus.
Here’s some of his top tips on turning your urban garden into a reservoir of biodiversity:
- Grow as many plants native to your immediate surroundings as possible; these plants evolved in partnership with the invertebrates that form the basis of the food pyramid for birds and other larger creatures.
- Never use insecticides or pesticides that destroy invertebrates and micro-organisms that feed birds and other wildlife.
- Allow leaf-litter to accumulate; this provides a refuge for invertebrates and retains soil moisture.
- Do not over-illuminate your property after dark. Bright lights lure and kill nocturnal insects. We do need some lights for security but the idea is to keep it to a minimum.
