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DIY wildlife action - help our wildlife from home
16th Nov 2020
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If you have an outdoor space you might like to take this opportunity to create some habitats for wildlife during lockdown.
Whether it’s a wildflower wellington, hedgehog houses or toad abodes, all are welcome features in a garden and many on a balcony too.
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Here are a few ideas
Hedgehog House – Whether you live in town or country, you can help to look after garden wildlife like hedgehogs by providing food, water and shelter. See: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-build-hedgehog-home and https://blog.gardenwildlifedirect.co.uk/how-to-help-hedgehogs/
Bat box – Putting up a bat box gives these night-time creatures somewhere safe to roost, raise their pups and sleep during the day. See: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-build-bat-box
Bug hotel – Leave piles of rocks, twigs and rotting wood in your garden. This will create shelter for all sorts of important insects, such as beetles and spiders.
Bird feeders + nest boxes – By installing bird boxes and feeders you can make sure they thrive. Put your bird box up high in a sheltered site. If cats are around, place your feeder near a dense bush to provide birds with cover.
Pond – It doesn’t have to be huge, you can use a buried bucket or trough, just make sure there are stones or branches to help wildlife get in and out. See: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-build-pond
Compost – Making and using your own compost will naturally enrich your soil. It will also provide a habitat for worms, woodlice and many other insects, including frogs and slow worms. To avoid attracting rats, only use raw food. See: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=444
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Other ideas
- Draw/paint a picture of your favourite Wildwood animal and send it to us.
- Post a photo you have taken at Wildwood and tag us in.
- Make a top 5 of the best wildlife films or documentaries and share them with Wildwood and your friends.
- Help to survey and record wildlife from your home. More information at Kent & Medway Biological Records Centre (KMBRC)
- Improve your wildlife identification skills through tracks, scats, food sources, habitats etc. Make sure to check out our Conservation Courses when lockdown ends to develop these skills further and/or check out these websites:
Kent Mammal Group
Kent Bat Group
Buglife
Bumblebee Conservation Trust
Plantlife
Butterfly Conservation
Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group
Woodland Trust
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds