Johnsons give birds a home during Nest Box Week

The BALI Registered Affiliate member Johnsons of Whixley in North Yorkshire is providing an additional 16 bird homes at its 50-acre headquarters site in Whixley during National Nest Box Week (14th–21st  February).

National Nest Box Week is an annual event that takes place around the time when birds pair up for the new breeding season.

Johnsons of Whixley, one of the largest commercial plant suppliers to both the landscape and garden centre sectors in the UK, has recognised the vital role that birds play in the natural eco-system this includes the control of pests, plant pollination and the natural spread of seeds. With this in mind, the company has installed the nest boxes at its principal site and plans to install additional boxes on its other sites in the coming months.

The site, located in the heart of North Yorkshire, is surrounded by open landscapes which is home to a  broad range of wildlife. Staff regularly enjoy watching the antics of foxes, rabbits, hares, deer, butterflies and a wide range of birds including robins, blue tits, sparrow hawks, kites, buzzards, oystercatchers, and owls. Ponds and water interceptors are also a regular feature of the nursery environment; they provide valuable irrigation reserves as well as significant ecological diversity.

Through the sale of 7 million Trees & Shrubs annually, Johnsons are one of the few businesses that can claim to be a true net contributor to the environment. Johnson's green credentials are monitored continuously via its accreditation to the environmental standard ISO14001.

Eleanor Richardson, Marketing Manager at Johnsons, said:

“The environment is at the heart of our operation,  we invest time and money each year in making improvements which include the reduction of non-recyclable plastics to low emission vehicles. Within the last few years, we have installed our very own onsite apiary which houses up to 800,000 bees, the installation of extra nesting boxes throughout the nursery can only go on to further embellish our surroundings.”