Champion for nature: Top 10 tips for protecting wildlife
This month Girlguiding LaSER are celebrating the uncountably brilliant things about nature and how we can use our voices to stand up for the planet. The Hive team has come together to brainstorm our top ten tips on how to protect wildlife from your very own home! You don’t need to have access to a garden space for these tips, feel free to use whatever is available.
- Create a ‘bee & bug’ home (Abbie covered this in her ‘how to make’ series How to Make- Bee Bug Home ): This is the perfect way to provide a small sanctuary for bees and insects. They are increasingly under-threat and so a safe haven for them to live and breed in can go a long way in ensuring their long-term survival. According to Friends of the Earth, “bee hotels are used as breeding places by cavity-nesting solitary bees like Mason bees, Leafcutter bees and Yellow-faced bees which naturally nest in hollow stems, earth banks or old beetle holes in dead wood. None of these bees are aggressive, so they are fine around children and pets.”
- Make a mini-pond: Adding some water to your outdoor space is an easy way to bring in new ecosystems and aquatic wildlife. It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking either- a washing-up bowl, a large plant pot or a disused sink could all be repurposed as ponds if creatures can get in and out. Check out how to create a mini pond for some ideas!
- Feed the birds: After flying around all day, birds definitely need somewhere to eat! By creating a low-cost bird feeder, you can ensure that they have a constant source of food (if you have a lot of local squirrels, you might want to invest in a ‘squirrel-proof’ feeder instead). How to make a bird feeder has some brilliant
- Build a birdhouse: In an increasingly industrial world, there is less and less space for birds to nest but we can change that! Birdhouses are really quick and easy to make and you can hang them anywhere you like. Look at the RSPB’s advice (Build a bird box) and take a look at some of their other activities too
- Make a log pile: According to the RSBP, standing and fallen decaying wood and old plants are very important for wildlife. Even just one or two bushes, if kept beyond their natural life, are of great value to insects, fungi, mosses and lichens. Birds feed on insects that make their home in old wood. In large gardens, a decaying tree with a snagged bough or a small cavity might provide a nest site for a bird or bat. Check out their resources for making this vital resource for your local wildlife at Dead Wood for Wildlife | Garden Ideas