There is no better time to instil a love of nature into youngsters, and no better way than with the promise of getting their hands dirty. Why not get them involved by building a homemade bug hotel or furnishing a bird feeder? Here, conservation expert and wildlife garden designer Andrew Wright of Conservation and Access shares six simple principles to create thriving, wildlife-friendly garden.
1. Make a wood pile
The food chain starts at the bottom. If you can encourage bugs and beetles, there’ll be a food source for lots of other species. A stumpery or habitat stack (essentially a variety of different dead woods partially dug into the ground) or a bug hotel (a cavity stuffed with twigs and dry leaves) will provide homes for centipedes, millipedes, beetles, woodlice and if you’re lucky, stag beetles. Drill holes into the ends of the logs for solitary bees.
2. Refrain from mowing
Some of our most bio-diverse habitats are grasslands. Set aside a small patch of grass and let it grow. You can sprinkle a wildflower mix containing yellow rattle over it and just let nature do its thing. Over time you’ll get all sorts of flowers, herbs, vetches and grasses popping up, which in turn will feed myriad creepy-crawlies alongside birds and bats.
3. Add water
This could be anything from a filled washing-up bowl to a fully-fledged pond. Very quickly, water will attract dragonflies, pond skaters and diving beetles, as well as giving birds a place to drink.
4. Plant a hedge
If you’re looking to replace the fencing in your garden, consider planting a hedge instead. Opt for native berry-producing hedging, including hawthorn, blackthorn, holly and privet. Hedges produce lots of winter food for both native and migrant birds. Don’t trim them too often and never trim them all at once; ideally trim one side, one year and the other side, the next. Better still, if you can, wait three years, as these stems will grow the most berries.
5. Feed the birds
Perhaps the easiest place to start: add bird feeders to your plot. Begin with simple mesh nut feeders in front of your window then, add a variety of bird-food dispensers, with differing seeds and feeds to attract a greater variety of species.
6. Home a hedgehog
A true testament to how wildlife-friendly your plot has become is the hedgehog. Build them a home to chill in during long summer days and to hibernate in later. Plus, make a feeding-station, but only offer feed that has been purchased as hedgehog food and NEVER bread and milk.
Find more tips at; conservationandaccess.co.uk