LNRS user guides: Individuals and residents

Take simple actions

Gardens and small green spaces can play a big part in nature’s recovery. Small changes add up when we all take part. You'll find ideas for easy actions in the urban section of the statement of biodiversity priorities, including:

• Gardening for wildlife, planting suitable trees in the right places in urban environments, creating ponds, and hedges. You can also focus on species-specific actions, such as putting up bird boxes, bat boxes, creating hedgerow highways, and any of the actions for wildlife suggested. Choose the level of action that fits your space.
• You could also join nearby groups who are delivering LNRS nature recovery actions such as Oxford Conservation Volunteers, and Community Action Groups (CAG).

See what actions are important locally

Some parts of Oxfordshire are especially well-suited for restoring and connecting areas of nature. Use the Local Habitat Map to:

• See if the LNRS has mapped particular actions near your garden or neighbourhood that you could help with
• See where and how you could help - whether it’s enhancing a verge or creating a pond
• Support funding applications with strong ecological evidence and recommendations
• You can adapt these suggestions to suit your space, budget and time.

Even if your garden or neighbourhood isn’t mapped, there are still plenty of actions you can take. Our statement of biodiversity priorities has a number of unmapped measures that can be taken around any home, garden, school, or workplace.

Support rare and threatened local wildlife

Nearly 900 species in Oxfordshire are threatened or at risk with extinction. The species priorities list explains which species need extra help locally, which may live in your local area, and what you could do to help. The list includes wildlife such as hedgehogs, bats, swifts, various butterflies, house martins, and certain types of flowers, plants and trees.

Have a look at the list to see if there’s any actions you might be able to take to support them yourself, or consider joining or organising a local group to take action. You can use the LNRS as evidence for funders and with local people to show why the project matters and to explain what needs to happen.

Learn more about Oxfordshire’s biodiversity

To find out more about nature and the challenges it faces, read and explore sections of our description of strategy area document. The more you know, the more confidently you can act and advocate.

Be an advocate for nature

Your voice matters. Using the LNRS you can:

• Take part in planning consultations (local authorities must have regard to the LNRS) and you can ask them to make this clear.
• Use the LNRS as evidence in conversations with your local councils or consultations such as the creation of neighbourhood plans. You could join a neighbourhood plan group and help embed nature into local visions by asking them to help deliver LNRS actions such as urban tree planting, green roofs, sustainable drainage, orchard creation and more.
• Report local wildlife sightings to support research and share your records
• Run workshops, talks or awareness events 

How to take action for nature

There are many ways you can help wildlife and nature in Oxfordshire. Whether you have a garden, want to join a local group, or take part in a citizen science project, there is support available to help you get started.

Get practical advice and support

• Tips on making your garden wildlife-friendly
• CAG Oxfordshire and Wild Oxfordshire support community projects and can help you join or start a local group.
• See how residents have improved local spaces for nature with support.
• Explore BBOWT’s actions to see what you can do at home.

Learn more about nature and habitats

BBOWT provides information about:

• Different species
• Different habitats
• How to campaign for wildlife

Join a local nature group

You can volunteer with:

• Oxford Conservation Volunteers
• Community Action Groups (CAG) OXFORDSHIRE
• Trust for Conservation Volunteers (TCV)

Use the map to find and join:

• local nature groups
• parish or town councils
• business networks
• catchment partnerships
• farmer clusters
• conservation charities

Support local food and farming

Find information about how to support local farmers and growers, learn about how to buy local.

Take part in citizen science

You can help by:

• recording wildlife sightings
• monitoring water quality
• surveying habitats
• opportunities for student projects, volunteering, and support

Reduce your environmental impact

Simple actions at home can make a big difference:

• use less water, energy and plastic
• avoid pesticides and peat
• install water butts to collect rainwater
• choose sustainable transport options

Support campaigns for nature

You can help by signing petitions and supporting campaigns for stronger policies to protect wildlife and the environment. Visit BBOWT to learn more.