National Nest box Week 2010 runs from 14-21 February

Organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Britain’s leading bird research charity, NNBW aims to encourage people to put up nest boxes in their local area which will promote and enhance biodiversity and assist with the conservation of our breeding birds and wildlife.

As urban and suburban gardens and woods become increasingly ‘tidy’, the natural nest sites on which many of our bird species depend, such as holes in trees and buildings, are fast disappearing.  Since National Nest Box Week was launched in 1997, thousands of enthusiastic people across the UK have put up boxes to compensate for this loss and it is estimated that there are now 5-6 million boxes in gardens across the UK.

Whether you’re a family with space for a box in your garden, a teacher, a member of a local wildlife group, or you belong to a bird club and could organise a work party, National Nest Box Week gives you the chance to contribute to this conservation effort in the UK whilst giving you the pleasure of observing any breeding birds that you attract to your garden.

Follow the links at bto.org for ideas on how you can take part — and remember that any time of year is a good time to put up a nest box.

For more information about nests and nest boxes, contact the BTO at nnbw@bto.org