Nearly 150 urban gardens have been created in Mexico to attract hummingbirds that have seen their natural habitat gradually destroyed due to human settlements and climate change.

The country, which is home to 58 different species, has seen half of its 13 endemic species at risk of extinction as cities sprawl.

The Urban Gardens project has created 149 gardens to date, most of them in the capital Mexico City.

Hummingbirds are the most important pollinating bird in Mexico. By pollinating, the hummingbirds help conserve more than 1,000 different plant species.

Claudia Rodriguez, a biologist working on the Urban Gardens project, told Reuters: “When cities grow, we’re removing forests, we’re removing the vegetation that hummingbirds use to feed, to reproduce.

“If hummingbirds disappear, the diversity of plants decreases and in the long term the ecosystem will end up poorer.”

One garden, which was planted in 2014 with plants including myrtle and lantanas, has seen an increase in hummingbirds, mostly broad-billed and beryl species. The garden, located in an area belonging to the country’s National Autonomous University in Mexico City, has also seen an increase in other pollinators such as bees, butterflies and bumblebees.

Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living. She also offers content services to businesses and individuals at Rosamedea.com