YOUNGSTERS in Reading and Wokingham are being asked to help save one of Britain’s most popular birds.
The humble house sparrow once topped the list of the most commonly sighted garden birds.
But numbers have declined so dramatically, the RSPB has placed it on its UK Red List. Now, the charity has teamed up with Dobbies Garden Centres in Hare Hatch and Spencers Wood to hold a free event for children to help save the endangered bird
Dobbies is holding a Little Seedlings Club workshop on Sunday, May 7, for youngsters aged four to 10 where they will learn about the official Red List and the house sparrow, as well as some helpful tips on how to encourage more house sparrows into their gardens.
Chloe Bell, Dobbies’ Community and CSR Communications Executive,, explained: “Our Little Seedlings Club attendees are the next generation of gardening enthusiasts and this awareness workshop with RSPB at our Reading store is extremely important when it comes to helping rescue the house sparrow.
Adrian Thomas, the RSPB’s wildlife gardening expert, said: “We are really looking forward to working with Dobbies to spread the word about these wonderful garden birds, and how people can help them. They’re great fun for kids to learn about too – house sparrows are delightfully sociable and chattery and they really benefit when we give them the food, water, and home they need. It shows how little actions can really make a difference to our local wildlife.”
For more details, or to book a place, log on to to: dobbies.com/little-seedlings