There are lots of simple things you can do this year that will make a big difference to your nearby wild. Here’s our pick:

1. Ditch the itch

If you have a dog or cat, ask your vet for a tablet to prevent fleas and ticks, instead of the drops that are applied to their skin. Not only do the powerful insecticides in these drops end up in streams and rivers when dogs go for a dip, wiping out aquatic life, but new studies have shown that they’re present in high numbers of nests due to birds’ habit of collecting fur to make a soft lining – but horrifyingly, these chemicals increase the numbers of unhatched eggs and dead chicks. Keeping these potent pesticides – two of which are banned in agriculture – out of the natural world is a small, easy change all pet owners can all make.

2. Put up a bird box (or two!)

Legend has it that birds pair up by Valentine’s Day. That may be a bit fanciful, but it’s a good date to aim for when it comes to providing nesting sites. Many birds, like sparrows, house martins, starlings, swallows and swifts, have evolved over many centuries to nest on, in, or near buildings, but recently we’ve begun making that more and more difficult for them, and numbers of all those species are falling. Look for sturdy, species-specific boxes that will survive bad weather and protect birds from determined predators (supermarket ones are often more decorative than useful). The BTO have a guide to making a range of garden bird boxes here.

3. Get messy

The more tangled, diverse and chaotic your garden is, the more living creatures it’s likely to support. That doesn’t mean hanging up your secateurs altogether, but if you cut back a bit on the tidying up, let a few things grow bushy, tolerate a certain number of ‘weeds’ (or native wildflowers), relinquish a smidgen of control and let your garden grow a little more self-willed, you’ll reap the rewards in terms of wildlife – and those rewards will blossom out, too, making your whole area a bit more biodiverse. Gardens that are good for nature can still be breathtakingly beautiful – in fact, what’s more glorious than a garden that’s alive with birdsong, dancing with butterflies and abuzz with bees?

4. Make a mini-pond

You’ll already know that making a pond is one of the very best things you can do for nature, so make this the year you create your own (or add another!) Obviously a large, natural pond is wonderful, but many of us don’t have the space for that. Fortunately, even a tiny, urban or suburban pond, in an old sink, a half-barrel or even a bucket, can become a welcoming home to all sorts of creatures, from frogs and newts to water snails, damselflies, water boatmen and even some species of hoverfly, which start their lives as aquatic larvae; they’re also great drinking and bathing spots for birds and other creatures. Friend of Encounter Jules Howard has made an excellent video which you can find here. Not only is a mini-pond an easy win for nature, but it’s a really fun project, too.

5. Help our hogs

Hedgehogs are in trouble: big trouble. This charismatic, likeable creature, which nobody wishes to harm, is nonetheless disappearing – and it’s happening on our watch. The causes are complex, but a big part of the puzzle is our habit of dividing up their worlds with walls, fences and dangerous roads, and tidying up our parks and gardens so much that there are fewer and fewer invertebrates around for them to eat and hardly anywhere left to hibernate. As they’re nocturnal you might not know if you have hogs in your area, so consider buying or borrowing a wildlife camera so you can find out, or check out the sightings map on the brilliant Hedgehog Street website. Then, if you can, cut a 13cm² hole in your garden fences, put out a shallow dish of clean water, and consider making a hedgehog house. Oh, and don’t put bread and milk out, or offer them peanuts: both can harm them. Meat-based kitten food, or specialist hedgehog food, can help our prickly pals survive – especially in the colder months, when there’s less for them to eat.

Five easy wins for nature