Summer is supposed to be the season for spending time in the great outdoors, soaking up the sunshine. Well over the past few weeks we’ve certainly been soaked – unfortunately just by torrential rain and gusty winds!
But spare a thought for the wildlife that can’t stay cosy indoors with a cuppa, especially garden birds like robins which may still be trying to raise chicks. With that in mind, why not set yourself a challenge to do one thing to help give nature a home in your patch before autumn rolls around?
If you’re good at DIY, why not make a hedgehog hotel for the prickly visitors to your garden or build a bird box for our feathered friends to shelter in and breed next spring? (Or buy ready-made homes for nature at www.rspb.org.uk/shop - we won’t tell!)
You could also take advantage of the rainy weather to create a small pond – it’ll be full in no time! Even if you don’t have a garden, a large container like a big washing up bowl or an old Belfast sink will do the trick. You’ll just need special pond soil, mixed with grit, and some pondweed and native plants to make a great pad for frogs, insects and other wildlife.
If that all sounds like a bit too much hard work then why not simply take a break from the lawnmower? Mowing your lawn less, and letting parts of it grow long, will save you time and is great for nature. Longer stems create a sheltered microclimate, a sort of a mini jungle which beetles and other small creatures can wander through, and pollinators will love feeding on the flowers which pop up.
For more ideas and detailed instructions visit www.rspb.org.uk/homes