![\""A\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2012\/06\/GettyImages-87752688-20272b3.jpg?quality=90&resize=522%2C413"\" "\\"\"A\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\u201cLearning about wildlife begins in your back yard. If you want to bring more species to your garden then the recipe is simple: just add water,\u201d says Mike Dilger, wildlife expert for BBC One\u2019s The One Show <\/em>and BBC Wildlife <\/em>contributor.<\/p>\n \u201cI dug a hole, put in a liner, added water \u2013 and within 24 hours I had my first pond skaters. By the end of the summer I had seen six species of dragon- and damselfly, and recorded a huge number of birds and mammals coming to the pond \u2013 it\u2019s a source of food as well as water.<\/p>\n \u201cA pond punches above its weight in terms of conservation, too. More UK frogs are now breeding in garden ponds, because the water is unpolluted, unlike many village and farm ponds. Digging one is the most effective step each of us can take to help local wildlife.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Inspiring others to learn about nature \u2013 volunteering<\/a> for a reserve or giving a talk to a local school or youth group, for example \u2013 can be rewarding in many ways. \u201cThrough my work with Buglife, I often take groups out on bug walks and pond-dipping days,\u201d says the charity\u2019s vice-president Alan Stubbs. \u201cObviously, it\u2019s a way to raise the profile of invertebrates and the importance of habitats. But it\u2019s personally very rewarding, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am passionate about the need to develop people\u2019s ability to identify species,\u201d Alan continues. \u201cThe education system does very little fieldwork these days; you can study up to degree level without having seen a whole animal. Being able to identify wildlife is a vital practical underpinning of conservation work \u2013 a skill I think is being lost, and one that I dearly want to promote.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet in the habit of closing your eyes and writing down the bird calls and songs you hear phonetically,\u201d says writer Ben Hoare. \u201cMost field guides include a description of each bird\u2019s sounds, but good birders have their own ways to remember each species\u2019 distinctive vocalisations. Develop this skill and you\u2019ll be able to identify birds before you see them.\u201d<\/p>\n Learning to draw the flora and fauna you see can have a major impact on your skills as a naturalist, according to botanical artist Julia Trickey.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of us can identify well-known flowers and trees \u2013 but how much detail can we really recall?\u201d asks Julia. \u201cObservational drawing encourages you to look carefully at the world around you, getting into the detail \u2013 of flowers, for example: the number of petals, how they are arranged and the shape of the stem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe act of drawing in a nature notebook demands close observation \u2013 and you don\u2019t need technical skills, like those taught in the kind of courses I run,\u201d Julia adds. \u201cGive it a try. I promise that you will never look at a flower, leaf or fruit in the same way again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMost people miss what happens after dark,\u201d says photographer Eric M\u00e9dard. \u201cBut there\u2019s a lot going on: many mammals, moths and amphibians are nocturnal. Getting out at night forces you to use your other senses, as I discovered during forays in my native France \u2013 I learned to recognise the rustle of a salamander and the sound of a boar racing through the undergrowth. It\u2019s so interesting to experience what is happening when most people are safely ensconced in their homes \u2013 there\u2019s so much to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe map for my local area is a living document of the wildlife I\u2019ve seen here,\u201d says writer and editor Ben Hoare. \u201cMaps show habitat, and give you an idea of what you might see. I overlay that with the wildlife I\u2019ve spotted. It\u2019s another way of recording and depicting my local patch that encourages me to observe and appreciate what\u2019s around me.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to know what\u2019s coming into your back garden? BBC Wildlife<\/em> picture editor Wanda Sowry is planning to set up her first camera-trap in 2014. \u201cI\u2019ve found plenty of evidence of foxes and hedgehogs visiting my garden but I really want to see them in action. I\u2019ve been talking about setting up a camera-trap for ages \u2013 but this is the year when it\u2019s finally going to happen. I can\u2019t wait to see the results.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere are so many wildlife encounters to enjoy in the UK,\u201d says BBC Wildlife\u2019s travel editor James Fair, \u201cand they vary enormously around the country. To experience something totally new this year, consider booking a trip to somewhere you\u2019ve never been.\u201d<\/p>\n Check out our list of the best places to have a winter wildlife watching experience<\/a> in the UK, and the wildlife you can spot like roosting rooks and beautiful red squirrels.<\/p>\n Joining a conservation cause can give you more reasons to take an interest in your patch \u2013 and your involvement can have a massive impact, says hedgehog campaigner Hugh Warwick.<\/p>\n \u201cSuburbia is becoming the last refuge for many hedgehogs,\u201d explains Hugh. \u201cRecent studies have shown that a sustainable population of hedgehogs requires at least 32 individuals plus 90ha of connected land. So it\u2019s essential that we get neighbours talking to each other and ensuring their gardens are linked via gaps in their fences.\u201d<\/p>\n The Hedgehog Street campaign recruits \u2018Hedgehog Champions\u2019 to muster local support, and advises on practical and straightforward ways of dealing with \u2019hog problems. So far, almost 30,000 households have signed up.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Want to understand the changing seasons and their effects on local wildlife in greater depth? Then start a nature journal, says zoologist Jules Howard. \u201cI was a latecomer to keeping a journal,\u201d he admits. \u201cI started mine 10 years ago to record lists of the wildlife I was seeing on a long commute. It took me a year to recognise its real value as I started to notice the signs of the changing seasons \u2013 small indicators that you can compare each year, and that are noticeable only to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn this digital age, a blog offers a great way to store your nature notes,\u201d Jules adds. \u201cYou can upload images directly from a smartphone, and you can search for specific entries. Remember that you don\u2019t have to conform to any set ideas about what a journal should look like or include. If you make it personal and record the things in which you\u2019re interested, you\u2019re much more likely to keep it going for many years.\u201d<\/p>\n At least once this year, indulge your interest in evolution, conservation, entomology \u2013 or, indeed, any other \u2018ology\u2019 \u2013 and head to London\u2019s Natural History Museum. If possible, visit on a weekday, when the museum is quieter \u2013 school groups have usually moved on by the afternoon, but if you arrive early (doors open at 10am) you can devote more than seven hours to exploring the museum\u2019s vast collections and exhibitions. On the last Friday of each month (except December), the museum is open till 10.30pm for \u2018Lates\u2019 events.<\/p>\n Learn something new this year. There\u2019s an array of wildlife courses and holidays around the UK, from local evening classes to field-studies centres. \u201cThe best way to learn about wildlife is to get out there and see it for yourself,\u201d says Kevin Shaw, who runs wildlife tour company Heatherlea. \u201cDo that alongside an expert and it\u2019s guaranteed to accelerate your learning and enhance your enjoyment.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re looking for an ID guide, inspiration, stories or advice, there\u2019s no shortage of transformative wildlife literature available. To you get you started, have a look at our selection of books on the wildlife of the coasts and seas<\/a>, wildlife and nature books for teenagers<\/a>, and even nature books that will help you cultivate mindfulness and connect with nature<\/a> in the year ahead.<\/p>\n Love birds? Start an obsession with grasshoppers. Comfortable identifying British butterflies<\/a>? Why not transfer those skills to shield bugs? It worked for naturalist Mark Cocker, whose fascination with moths began when he set up a trap in his garden and recorded his local species.<\/p>\n \u201cSpecialism is important in natural history, but I think we get too linear \u2013 too obsessed with a single species,\u201d explains Mark. \u201cWe fixate on expertise \u2013 on one area of wildlife \u2013 and overlook the importance of a simple wonder when looking at nature.\u201d<\/p>\n Why not try something different every year? There are countless books and online resources to help you make 2014 your year of grasshoppers or bees, moths or shieldbugs, even fungi. Choose something new and you\u2019ll develop your sense of wonder for what is around you.<\/p>\n BBC iPlayer<\/a> has transformed the way we watch and listen to natural history broadcasting. It means you\u2019re far less likely to miss the very best documentaries, and makes it easier to search through old programmes and dig out the best wildlife TV<\/a> and radio. Guaranteed gems every week.<\/p>\n Each year, hundreds of \u20182. Pass on your skills<\/h2>\n
![\""Lianne\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2018\/05\/30459055-96b4c91.jpg?quality=90&crop=135px%2C93px%2C4012px%2C2673px&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Lianne\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>3. Close your eyes\u2026and listen<\/h2>\n
![\""A\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/04\/Blackbird.-GettyImages-1164940804-3b9673f.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C408"\" "\\"\"A\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>4. Keep a notebook and get drawing<\/h2>\n
5. Get out a night<\/h2>\n
![\""Caterpillar\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2012\/09\/GettyImages-917820494-78dcfdd.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Caterpillar\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>6. Map your local patch<\/h2>\n
7. Set up a camera trap<\/h2>\n
![\""Camera-traps\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2018\/09\/raccoon-trail-cam-01_0-18bfab6.jpg?quality=90&resize=551%2C413"\" "\\"\"M2E1L0-0R350B300\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>8. Explore somewhere new<\/h2>\n
There are so many wildlife encounters to enjoy in the UK <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
9. Get involved in a local cause<\/h2>\n
![\""Hedgehog\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/Hedgehog-GettyImages-886132202-2d84107.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C378"\" "\\"\"Hedgehog\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>10. Start a nature journal<\/h2>\n
11. Visit a natural history museum<\/h2>\n
![\""Hope\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2020\/09\/Hope-and-public-visitors-4-Credit-Trustees-of-NHM_cmyk-a6476a9.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413"\" "\\"\"Hope\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>12. Go back to school<\/h2>\n
The best way to learn about wildlife is to get out there and see it for yourself <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
13. Build the ultimate wildlife library<\/h2>\n
14. Start a new obsession<\/h2>\n
![\""Two\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2020\/07\/Watching-butterflies.-GettyImages-93911188-fbe4e19.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Two\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>15. Don\u2019t miss out \u2013 tune in<\/h2>\n
16. Be a citizen scientist<\/h2>\n
![\""Couple\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2021\/07\/BC-BigCount-Urban-1931-a2d2391.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Couple\\"\/")
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