Dorset Wildlife Trust volunteer Mitch Perkins explains why we should put the pesticides down and go chemical-free in our gardens this spring

I don’t usually use four-letter words in my writing, but here’s one for you – pest. I know, you’re immediately thinking, “Ah yes, those irritating creatures that feast on the plants I’ve so carefully nurtured!” And you wouldn’t be wrong – but I’d like to offer another view.
It’s a personal bugbear of mine (excuse the pun) to call ant creature a ‘pest’ – it suggests the only measure of value lies in how much of a nuisance it is to us, and that it should automatically be eliminated if it is unwelcome.
As a keen gardener and allotment holder, I completely understand the heartbreak when prized blooms or lovingly grown vegetables suffer a serious nibbling. But it’s vital to recognise that many of the species we label as ‘pests’ are actually integral to the wider garden ecosystem – often providing food for other creatures or playing crucial ecological roles.

Fake news
Take codling moth caterpillars, for example – they are a real challenge in orchards and gardens alike with their apple-burrowing habit. However, bats feed on the adult moths, offering welcome, natural protection. Similarly, those winter moth caterpillars responsible for tattered leaves on ornamental and fruit trees are an important food source for many nesting birds.
Resorting to pesticides might seem like a quick fix, but it comes at a cost: reducing food for wildlife, disturbing the delicate balance between predator and prey, and causing long-term environmental harm. Some creatures, like slugs, are simply victimes of fake news. Of the 44 slug species found in the UK, only nine are serious plant nibblers. I can already hear you shouting, “Yes, but those nine are all in my garden!” But many slugs – and snails – are essential decomposers, breaking down organic matter and enriching the soil. And then there’s the magnificent leopard slug – a naturally carnivorous ‘slug predator’, it’ll happily munch its fellow gastropods.

A little light housekeeping
That’s not to say we should abandon our gardens to the wild entirely – a little thoughtful management is often needed. But chemical controls are rarely necessary. Pesticides often affect non-target species – we’re all now familiar with the devastating impact neonicotinoids have had on bees. Herbicides, too, can seep into the soil, disrupting worms, fungi and other vital microorganisms – the building blocks and unsung heroes of a healthy garden.
There are plenty of more wildlife-friendly options for managing unwanted guests: physical barriers, companion planting and encouraging natural predators will go a long way. Log piles, for example, offer a haven for beetles, spiders and centipedes, while areas of longer grass provide cover for slow worms, frogs and hedgehogs – all of which are enthusiastic slug-snackers.

In the end, perhaps we can all afford to be a little more forgiving of the odd nibbled leaf. A healthy plant can withstand a bit of grazing – and without using pesticides you’ll be welcoming in ladybirds, lacewing larvae, hoverfly grubs, ground beetles, spiders – and consequently blue tits and hedgehogs – and you’ll have an army of aphids, caterpillars and slug munchers. Look after your soil, and in return, your garden, allotment or shared green space will reward you with the buzzing, humming, flourishing life of a truly diverse ecosystem – nourishment not just for the environment, but for the soul, too.
For more ideas, I highly recommend visiting dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk.

From bluebells to beeches, Jane Adams explains how simple nature journaling can reconnect us to the quiet magic unfolding on our doorstep

Do you ever wish you could remember when you last heard a cuckoo? Or the exact date the bluebells bloomed last year?
For years, I scribbled these things down on scraps of paper and stuffed them into drawers, thinking I would remember.
Obviously, I never did.
Then I discovered nature journaling.
The best thing about nature journaling is that you don’t need any special skills. It’s not about what you know, it’s about what you notice. It gives you a reason to slow your thoughts and pay close attention to the world around you – something so many of us struggle to do as we bustle through our busy lives.
By noting things down, you begin to notice small things. The way a wild bluebell droops to one side. Its subtle, sweet smell. How ridiculously green the leaves of beech trees are when they first emerge. Over days, months and years, small observations grow into a record of something bigger.

Don’t worry, just begin
How you choose to journal is up to you. Some people like to write things down or take photographs, others make sketches or audio recordings. The beauty is there is no right or wrong way: it’s whatever will fit into your life.
It’s probably worth mentioning that nature journaling isn’t a new, trendy fad, people have been doing it for millennia. The naturalist Rev. Gilbert White was keeping a record of nature on his Hampshire patch back in the 1700s. The Natural History of Selborne, his published journal, is still a top seller. But you don’t need to be a monied vicar to have a go: just arm yourself with a cheap notebook, or a free nature journaling app on your phone, and you can start straight away.
Journal about a place you know well, somewhere you visit regularly. This could be your garden, a balcony, a nearby park, maybe a favourite footpath or green space. Be sure to concentrate on and record the small things. Crouch down and look at a tiny flower (the flowers of Germander speedwell – like tiny blue jewels – are a highlight at this time of year), or study some Lilliputian lichen on top of
a fence post.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what you’re looking at (though you could try to identify it when you get home) because identification isn’t the point. It’s about your connection to nature and to the seasons. It’s about knowing that the cuckoo sang on 1st of May last year, that a blackbird nested in your garden in 2019 and that you found a slow worm in the compost heap in 2015. It’s a comforting confirmation of nature’s resilience and determination, even amidst the ever-present challenges of climate change.
It’s also an important reminder that we’re part of something bigger, something still unfolding – and those tiny, seemingly insignificant things that connect us to the natural world really do matter.

How to start a nature journal:

Pen and paper: Any notebook will do – small is good (especially if you’re journaling outside and want to pop it in your pocket!). Watercolour sketchbooks are great if you’re drawing (you could also sketch from photos once at home, if that’s easier).
Digital tools: Try the free Encounter app developed by nature writer Melissa Harrison, as a digital alternative. You can log what you see on your phone, as well as where you saw it and when, and add photos. It also includes helpful daily posts on seasonal nature to spot, and tips on nature journaling.
encounter-nature.com

Suggestions of what to journal: time, date, is it cold or hot, windy or calm … describe, draw or photograph what you notice. Get close up and use your senses. If it’s an insect or flower, what could it be? Take a guess if you don’t know. How do you feel? Are you stressed after a bad day, or calmed by being outside?