One hundred years and not hearing them, or rather, continuing to make one’s voice heard to give a voice to those who have none. David Attenborough blows out one hundred candles and does so with a gift to the public that shifts the focus from the African savannahs to the small green rectangles behind our houses. The new BBC series, Secret Garden, broadcast from 5 April, is a political and scientific manifesto on what producer Bill Markham calls the ecosystem of “unsung heroes”.
The rainforest outside the window
We’re used to seeing Attenborough whispering among gorillas or pointing out whales in the deep blue. Yet, for his centenary, Sir David has chosen to return to his home garden, the same place where, probably, a century ago, he observed the first insect that gave rise to his infinite curiosity. The thesis of the series is shocking: the UK’s gardens, combined, cover an area greater than all national nature reserves.
Around 2,600 different species can coexist in a single average plot. “Some gardens are almost as rich in biodiversity as a rainforest,” explains the naturalist. You don’t need transoceanic safaris to witness the struggle for survival; just watch an otter hunting ducks in an Oxfordshire river garden or a pine marten targeting swallows in the Highlands.
The “cat factor”
The highlight of the series, the one destined to spark discussion in neighborhood communities and on social media, concerns small domestic predators. With around 9.5 million in the UK alone, domestic cats are responsible for the deaths of around 55 million birds every year. Markham is direct: the prey-predator relationship is over. Unlike wild predators, cats are fed regularly, which allows their population to grow without the biological constraints of starvation or prey scarcity.
The solutions proposed by Attenborough are concrete and, for some, difficult to digest. Putting a bell around your feline’s neck reduces hunting success by 33%. Even more radical is the invitation advocated by the ecologists cited in the program: to keep cats indoors during the birds’ breeding season, particularly in the months of April and May. An advice that aims to protect nestlings at the moment of maximum vulnerability, but which clashes with the “right to exit” philosophy defended by many owners.
Not just felines
If cats are the domestic problem, pheasants represent the large-scale environmental problem. Every year over 30 million pheasants are released into the British countryside for hunting purposes. These birds, native to Asia, devour enormous quantities of native insects, reptiles and amphibians, profoundly altering local balances. In an era where there is constant talk of reintroducing key species such as beavers, the series highlights the inconsistency of annually releasing an ecologically disrupting “plague” for pure sporting enjoyment.
A therapy against eco-anxiety
Despite the criticism and alarming data, Secret Garden’s goal is to cure what we now call eco-anxiety. We often feel helpless in the face of melting glaciers, rising seas, global warming: Attenborough suggests that change starts from below, literally from the ground under our feet. Planting a native tree, raising bird feeders or simply leaving a “wilder” corner of the garden to encourage caterpillars are individual gestures which, multiplied by the 25 million British gardens, can generate a real impact.
At one hundred years old, Sir David reminds us that protecting the Planet is a daily practice that begins just outside our front door. A lesson in humility and pragmatism which, cats permitting, could really change the way we look at our lawn.
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