David Attenborough with a Saguaro cactus © BBC Private Life of Plants

Features from Wildlife magazine Wildlife articles 2008 -- Spring 2008 -- ::Severn Barrage ::The Variety of life ::A year at Willsbridge ::Willsbridge comes of age ::Reaching out - Willsbridge ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2007 -- Autumn 2007 -- ::Thinking BIG ::Watery webs:the pond network ::Wildlife in the landscape ::Variety of life ::How to be a climate friend ::Seasonal stroll - Walborough ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2007 -- ::The Folly Farm appeal ::Weston Big Wood-biodiversity at its best ::The variety of life ::How to capture a butterfly ::How to get to know an orchid ::Seasonal stroll - WestonBigWood ::Reserves update -- Spring 2007 -- ::Folly Farm - a very special place ::Making a difference at Folly Farm ::How find the magic at Folly Farm ::Seasonal stroll at Folly Farm ::Magic spots at Folly Farm ::Batscapes ::Climate challenge ::Variety of Life - the Ponways project ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2006 -- Autumn 2006 -- ::The Severn Estuary ::Bird Watch results ::How to identify garden birds ::Making space for wildlife ::How does your garden grow? ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2006 -- ::Going for green ::Stand up and be counted ::Happy birthday NSLMP ::Holi day - a riot of spring colour ::Avon's species-rich grassland ::How to photograph dragonflies ::The Big Switch ::Round the reserves -- Spring 2006 -- ::How to identify winter water birds ::Make 2006 the year you... ::Invasive invasion ::Sowing the seeds: Willsbridge Mill ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2005 -- Autumn 2005 -- ::Indentify common funghi ::Build a hedgehog hideaway ::Big Bird Watch ::Champions for wildlife ::Round the reserves ::Seeds of the futre: Willsbridge Mill -- Summer 2005 -- ::Restoring Folly Farm ::How to become bee-friendly ::How to identify the butterflies of spring ::Save our seas ::The variety of life: hedgerows ::Round the reserves ::25 Ways to make a difference -- Spring 2005 -- ::The variety of life: water voles ::The Avon Biodiversity Action Plan ::How to take really good wildlife photos ::How to help your garden grow ::Round the reserves ::Seasonal strolls: Browns Folly ::Sowing the seeds: for wildlife for people ::Sowing the seeds: looking back

Making space for wildlife

Meet Neil Nightingale. Neil is one of our members - and is also Head of the Natural History Unit here in Bristol, the green media capital.

“I was brought up in a small village in Sussex with fields at the bottom of the garden and from the age of three my happiest memories are of exploring the countryside - and earliest ambitions of wanting to be a wildlife warden or a vet. As a child I was a big fan of Daktari, a TV series about a vet in Africa. But even at university where I studied zoology I didn't think about working in TV, although I loved writing and telling stories. Life on Earth was the big blockbuster on our screens at the time and I suppose my science tutor picked up on something when he criticised one of my animal behaviour essays, saying 'this isn't a serious scientific essay - it's more like a script for Life on Earth!'

The turning point really was when I picked up a book called True to Nature by Chris Parsons, who was then Head of the Natural History Unit, about the first 25 years of the NHU. I read it cover to cover on my journey home and knew that that was what I wanted to do.”

Neil's achievements in the NHU included five years of running the Natural World series, commissioning 20 films a year, and producing The Private Life of Plants with David Attenborough, which was a real watershed in natural history film making. “Everyone thought we were bonkers making a series about plants - but it was a total revelation, showing plants as active organisms and allowing us into their world through amazing time-lapse camera work.”

Twenty five years after reading True to Nature Neil now heads the Natural History Unit as it prepares for its 50th anniversary next year. He's really excited by the changes that have taken place in this time.

“When I first began working for the NHU we maybe did one landmark series every three years - now we do two a year, and there's a much greater variety in the programmes. British wildlife has come into its own - three years ago the NHU devoted about five hours a year to it, now it's closer to 25 hours. It's grown organically - out of people wanting more and putting in more, from Wild In Your Garden to Springwatch to the latest initiative, the Breathing Places campaign which aims to get a million people involved with 50,000 wild spaces. I think we tapped a vein that was just waiting to be explored - the resurgence of interest in the countryside matched with growth in technology that makes it possible as never before to transmit superb images and the ability to interact with our audiences. Use of the Springwatch website has grown by 600% in the last year, for example, and people feel able to participate today in a way that wasn't possible even five years ago.”

Neil became a member of the Trust in 2000 and believes that without the Wildlife Trusts huge amounts of British wildlife would have disappeared forever. “We need organisations like the Wildlife Trusts and RSPB who are actually out there and doing things and able to get people to join in - that's why the BBC wants to work in partnership on the Breathing Places campaign.”

And Neil's own local wildlife highlight? “It has to be the Bristol foxes. When we moved into our Redland house 10 years ago, we enjoyed a family of eight foxes in the garden throughout the summer and autumn. We watched animal behaviour every bit as complex and interesting as on the plains of the Serengeti - right in our back garden, in broad daylight. At the end of that year, all of the foxes in the area disappeared due to mange but I am delighted to see them returning again. I've camped out in the wilds many times in Africa, Australia and North America and the calls of the local urban foxes are every bit as haunting as any jackal, dingo or coyote.”

Breathing places
The Wildlife Trusts are key partners with the BBC in promoting the Breathing Places campaign with a host of other wildlife and conservation organisations to inspire a million people to get involved in creating and caring for thousands of wildlife-friendly green spaces in their local patch. Any voluntary or community sector organisation with experience of working the natural environment, or working in partnership with an organisation with this experience can apply for a Lottery funded Breathing Places grant. A perfect catalyst to encourage people to get involved is the BBC's Springwatch, which is all about bringing people closer to nature and wildlife. Springwatch is supporting Breathing Places by showing people how they can take small actions that make a big difference.
Take a look at the Breathing Places websites to find out more! www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces