Short snippets about people helping nature

" If we all pledge one small change, think of the difference we can make for wildlife! "

I have created a wildlife hedge in my garden which is 20 ft long. It includes logs and homes for hedgehogs and all the trees and bushes have nuts or flowers to help wildlife. I currently have at least four hedgehogs in my garden which I feed. Also a family of muntjac deer.

My main reason for sending this is to give a hint for helping insects. If, like me, you use a garden recycle bin, after filling it leave a stick under the lip of the bin, in order for any insects trapped in the bin to escape.

I have to use my bin for conifers, which won't compost, and I have a large conifer hedge which I trim every year. You would be amazed at the number of ladybirds that come out of my bin. – Dave

Most of Wolverton's housing stock is Victorian and has been populated by swifts for many years. As in the rest of the UK the population has dropped significantly. In 2020 we set up a Facebook group and within 2 years had, through the support of residents, installed 150 swift boxes and 30 house martin cups. In the meantime we've learned so much about these amazing birds, had some experience with rehabbing and shared with local communities. There are now 4 similar facebook groups across Milton Keynes with similar aims and superb grant support from town/parish councils. - Paul

When we moved into our new house, the garden was eerily quiet—no buzzing insects or chirping birds. So, we decided to liven things up. We set up bird feeders, crafted two ponds (one in the ground and another in a barrel), and planted flowers that attract pollinators. After a few years, our efforts paid off. Now, the garden buzzes with bird songs, welcomes swallows yearly, and is a hive of activity in warmer months.

By taking down part of the fence, we even caught glimpses of visiting foxes. It turns out, "If you build it, they will come" isn't just a movie line; it's a reality for our thriving garden. - Megan

Mr B often cooks bacon (let's not talk about that!) but he does at least mop up any remaining fat in the pan with a piece of bread and coat it with wild bird seed, and then he leaves it on the bird table, like an open sandwich. Robins seem to love it. – Kaye

I like to have a couple of containers (e.g. buckets) filled with water outside my house, and a big stone. In winter, I then use the big stone to smash the ice, as the birds still need water in addition to plenty of food! – Dom

I love using winter flowering plants to stretch out the season that pollinators can find nectar in your garden. Plants like winter jasmine, winter honeysuckle, aconites and primrose give a burst of winter colour to the garden whilst giving any insects a boost! – David.

We have a wildlife friendly allotment where we've adopted an organic no-dig approach with no pesticides or fertiliser. We have two woodpiles which are homes to hedgehogs, mice and voles, and we've left the beans, sweetcorn and other crops on the beds to provide a home for insects over winter. Our nutrient comes from a hotbin which feeds two compost bins. In the 2 years we've had the plot the soil quality has gone from dry and sandy to rich and loamy and stuffed with worms. – Richard

I deliberately leave the garden beds 'messy' over the winter and do any cutting back, removal of old bedding plants etc. When it starts to warm up in the early spring. The number of ladybirds and other invertebrates that shelter in the, otherwise drab, die-back is quite staggering. The neighbours may think I'm something of a slacker but I don't care. – Steve