Top ten tips: helping nature this summer – Miss Morris
- Water Saves Lives – especially with the prolonged period of dry weather, the ground is very hard. Shallow bowls of water can save wild lives – particularly for our endangered native species, the hedgehog. However, other small mammals and birds will also appreciate this life-giving resource. Just make sure the bowl is not too deep or small creatures might drown in it.
- Strimmers – many of your parents will keep beautifully managed gardens, and use a strimmer regularly. However, these machines cause hideous injury to small creatures – especially hedgehogs. Whenever they are being used, make sure the area to be strimmed is carefully checked beforehand.
- Keep Feeding Birds – Carefully! – We tend to think of the need to feed wild birds during the winter months, but those extra calories are extremely useful at this time of year too – especially with young to feed. However, DO NOT use whole peanuts unless in a feeder which only allows small pieces of the nut to be broken off – fledglings will die by choking if fed a whole peanut.
- Watch Your Water Use – Drought conditions hit wildlife hard. We can help by being careful with our water use. Try to limit how long you run taps for and re-use water, such as bath water to wash the car with.
- BBQ Safety – Everybody loves a Summer BBQ, but they can be lethal for wildlife. Always ensure that no food is left out, and that the BBQ is properly extinguished after use. Disposable BBQs are a particularly nasty hazard for wild creatures – resulting in burns and other injuries – so if you use one, on a beach for example, ALWAYS dispose of it responsibly afterwards.
- Maintain Habitat – Letting a bit of your garden grow more wild and letting bees, butterflies and other insects thrive is an easy way to help maintain a healthy population of wildlife. Other creatures will often use it as a safe hiding place, and it can provide nesting materials for wild birds.
- Cat and Dog Safety – Responsible pet ownership is important at all times, but especially at this time of year – with fledgling birds spending time on the ground – cats should be watched where possible, and certainly should be fitted with a collar with a bell. Dogs, likewise, are likely to investigate and harm young wild creatures, and could end up harming themselves if they confront an angry adder, for example, so it is imperative to keep them on a lead when out on a walk, or supervised in the garden.
- Bees Need Sugar! – You’ve probably seen the occasional bee resting on a path or windowsill. What you might not know is that that bee is possibly severely dehydrated, starving and at risk of death. You can save bees in this situation by dissolving some sugar in water in a teaspoon and offering it to the bee – it should take it and come round quite quickly.
- Be Bee Friendly – On the subject of our busy buzzing friends try to let wildflowers bloom on the edges of your garden – you will be rewarded with the delightful sight of bees busily flitting through them!
- Drive More Mindfully – there are a lot more road casualties in the Summer months, as nocturnal animals such as hedgehogs are more active, and younger, inexperienced animals are more at risk as they are learning how to fend for themselves. This is more aimed at your parents, but encouraging them to drive a little below the speed limit and to keep an eye out for movement on the roads or the edge of country lanes and pavements could help prevent an unnecessary death or injury to a wild animal.
Post Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.