Fairtrade Fortnight crosses the end February over into March, but any time of year is a good time to consider Fairtrade goods, especially where wildlife-friendly farming practices benefit from the deal.

You can buy fairly traded bird food, which not only boosts birds and their young in your garden during this, their breeding season, but it also helps support wildlife in the countryside where it’s grown.

Three-quarters of RSPB birdseed is now Conservation Grade, grown on ‘Fair to Nature’ farms. This will rise to 90% by the end of 2015. It’s a good time of year for watching garden birds as many have young on the nest or are teaching them how to fly, feed, sing and survive.

It means parents are busy seeking extra food to feed hungry mouths back in the nest. Putting out food helps, but bear in mind that fast growing chicks need a high protein diet, which is mainly met by consuming insects. Watching birds has been prescribed by some doctors to help manage stress levels.

It gives people space and time to disengage from the issues troubling them and has proved effective. Physical effort invested in gardening is also a great work-out. Put your muscles into moving semi-dormant shrubs if you feel they’ve grown too big for the space you originally planted them.

You can dig over borders and veg patches, gather up any remaining leaves and mulch soil. What you don’t want to do is be too hasty in trimming away any hollow stems. You may find lacewings or ladybirds nesting inside, waiting for warmer temperatures before venturing out to feast on pests such as green or black fly aphids. Visit rspb.org.uk.