Free wildflower seeds are being given out by Dacorum Borough Council to celebrate Biodiversity Day

Hundreds of bee-friendly wildflower seeds are being given to residents by Dacorum Borough Council to celebrate this year's Biodiversity Day on Saturday, May 22.

The theme of this year's Biodiversity Day is 'we are part of the solution' and the council want to help and encourage local residents to be a 'part' of the solution in Dacorum.

To do this, hundreds of packets of pollinator-friendly, wildflower seeds are being given away to residents to plant at home.

Anyone who lives in Dacorum can enter the giveaway from now until Sunday, May 23 – apply quickly as seeds are subject to availability. To enter the giveaway click here.

What is the problem with biodiversity?

In the past 50 years global wildlife populations have plummeted by an alarming 68 per cent. Unfortunately, the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world.

In the past five decades over 40 per cent of UK species have declined, 15 per cent of species are threatened with extinction, and over 130 species have become extinct.

In addition to this, pollinator species have decreased by a third. This is alarming because we rely on these insects to pollinate over a third of the world’s food.

This loss of biodiversity is driven by changes in land use, climate change, herbicides and pollution. We need to act now to help stop this decline.

How does planting wildflowers help?

A staggering 97 per cent of wildflower meadows have been lost in the UK since the 1930’s. These meadows can contain up to 40 different species per square metre, which in turn supports all kinds of precious native UK species that cannot survive without these meadows.

This is why planting wildflower seeds at home is a great way to help biodiversity. Wildflowers are important as they provide essential homes and food sources for pollinators such as bees, butterflies and other insects, which in turn support larger wildlife populations, such as birds and mammals.

For more tips on growing your own wildflowers, even if you don't have a garden, click here.

What else can I do?

The more diverse the range of plants, flowers and habitats we can provide, the more diverse the range of wildlife that can live and feed there.

Take a look at your outdoor space at home – could it be made more wildlife friendly? The Wildlife Trust provides great advice to help improve your outdoor space.

What else is happening in Dacorum?

Within Dacorum, there are a number of biodiversity projects, including wildflower meadows at various locations, tree planting schemes, bug hotels and bee houses - find out more here.

Seven award winning parks in Dacorum are carefully managed with biodiversity in mind. To help the next generation get involved and be part of the solution too, this Biodiversity Day the council is also running a separate competition for local primary schools to win an insect sit-and-study centre.