Fersiwn Gymraeg ar gael yma
With Dydd Santes Dwynwen having recently been, and St Valentine’s Day just around the corner, love is in the air here in Wales.
But when delivering a bunch of flowers or card to that special person in your life, we also hopefully remember to show some love to our feathered friends at this cold time. While the last frost remnants of winter remain, they need all the help they can get, and fatty foods such as seeds, nuts and suet are greatly appreciated, along with clean water to go with! Thankfully, winter won’t last forever. As we see the cold frost of winter slowly thaw, we’ll start to see our birds begin to share the love. Spring will bring about many behavioural changes for our birds, as the breeding season beckons. We’ve already heard the ‘sub-song’ of some of our favourites, such as the robin and blackbird, chime throughout the winter. Now, with spring upon us, we’ll hear more birds before reaching the crescendo known as the Dawn Chorus.
Positive stories in heart times
But while we see this February through, another way we can show the love would be to, well, show the love! The Show the Love campaign calls on all of us to start conversations about how climate change is already affecting what we love. It also encourages us to celebrate what people are already doing to tackle it, from their homes and communities to schools and nature reserves.
Although we can’t get together this year at one of our reserves across Wales to do this, we can still keep the conversation going online. You can show your love by making, sharing and wearing a green heart on social media, and tagging RSPB Cymru in your messages – as well as telling us about the changes in nature you've noticed and your hopes for the natural world in the future.
We’ve seen many changes in the last year. The clear plane-less skies and the way that birdsong took over from the constant noise of traffic were things to welcome and enjoy, and it gave us a glimpse of what is possible if we change our ways. As you join the conversation and share your stories, please use the hashtag #ShowTheLove.
We'd love to hear - and see - what you're getting up to. And if you want, you can add a Show the Love frame to your Facebook profile picture!
Working in partnership
Show the Love is a great example of coming together. The campaign is led by The Climate Coalition (TCC), and it brings together its sister organisations, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and Stop Climate Chaos Cymru, to create the UK's largest group of people dedicated to climate action. With over 130 organisations, including the RSPB (a founding member), National Trust, Women's Institute, Oxfam, UNICEF, WWF, Wildlife Trusts, Plantlife, Woodland Trust and many more, the Coalition has a combined supporter base of over 15 million. The Coalition reaches across the UK to show our love for the things we want to protect from climate change, and to ask politicians to put aside their differences and commit to doing whatever is necessary to protect them.
For more information, visit the RSPB Show the Love webpage.