Helping wildlife make a home in your garden
Helping wildlife make a home in your garden
There are so many ways to support wildlife by making small changes to your outside space. Here are some ideas to get started.
Give wildlife access through your garden
Leave small gaps in your fencing or hedge, or scoop a tunnel underneath.
Hang a bird feeder in your garden
Enjoy watching the species it attracts.
Leave dead wood around, or bury it
It's good for beetles and other beneficial insects, fungi and mosses.
Allow ivy to grow on walls and fences
It's a late source of autumn nectar for insects, late winter fruit for birds, and provides cover for hibernating bats.
Put up a nesting box for birds, make a home for a hedgehog, a bat roost or an insect hotel.
Feed hedgehogs
Leave out a bowl of water and some cat food to support visiting hedgehogs. Don't give them milk - it's bad for them.
Let an area of lawn grow wild or seed an area with wild flowers to create an amazing summer display for bees.
Wildlife-friendly tips and advice
If you don’t have room for a pond in your garden, you could install a bird bath.
Don’t bag all your leaves in autumn. Leave some piles under bushes and trees to make a home for hibernating hedgehogs and for insects to shelter.
Don't use chemicals – try organic pest control measures.
Minimise night time lighting which disrupts wildlife - reduce light spill into the natural environment and turn lights off at night.
Always check for wildlife before using a strimmer or lighting a bonfire.