We all want to help in encouraging our native wildlife such as butterflies and bees back to our gardens. But how can we do that? We can plant flowers, but what kind? We can place bird feeders, but what kind would suit garden birds? What’s the best feed?
This blog piece will go into detail on what you, at home can do to bring back our native creatures. A big garden isn’t necessary! A windowsill, a small yard, they can all be helpful in this mission.
The word ‘rewilding’ refers to the restoration of an area of land to its former uncultivated state, allowing nature to move back in and create new life to encourage native creatures back to that area. An example of rewilding could be planting native plants and trees, or helping natural processes to occur freely, such as removing fencing to create corridors for wildlife. All have the intention of repairing damaged ecosystems, large or small.
First, let’s take a look at the steps that can be taken to begin to rewild your garden or plot:
- Observe what is already there: Are the plant species in your garden native to Ireland? Can we reuse old timber in our yard?
- Stop using fertilizers and pesticides: We want our piece of nature to be as natural as possible, so no more fertilizer and/or pesticides please!
- Rewild your lawn or garden: Even a small plot of your garden will help encourage bees and butterflies back. Plant species such as dandelions are considered as weeds to people, but to butterflies and bees they mean food during a time when every other plant species is only beginning to flower.
- Choose the right plants: Make sure to choose native Irish species. Seed bombs and wildflower mixes are everywhere today, which is amazing to see, but the packaging can sometimes lie about the flower species being native or non-native.
- Which seeds are right for your rewilding project? If you want to encourage butterflies back to your garden, research what flower species they love to feast on. Every butterfly is different. For example, the Peacock Butterflies caterpillar loves to eat nettles while the Fritillary Butterfly prefers Devils-bit Scabious.
- Layer up: Create insect-friendly layers, such as woodpiles, composts, stones, and so on.
- Compost: Compost doesn’t need to be bought. You can make your own easily. Compost is used as a bed for flowers and vegetation, as well as a home for insects.
- Set up wildlife corridors: If this is an option, it’s a brilliant one to set-up! Wildlife corridors connect places together, for little creatures such as Hedgehogs, Foxes, and even badgers to use.
- Install feeders: Bird feeders are a great way to encourage birds to your garden, but there’s a huge range of sizes. How do I pick what size? Well, certain garden birds will prefer covered bird feeders while other bird species might prefer a bird feeder with a perch. They’re all different, just like us! Researching this will give you a better idea on what feeder to choose.
- Nest boxes: The design and placement of nest boxes is very important. A barn owl box can be triangular, being quite large, while a swallow nest box is quite small with a tiny entrance hole. An owl box would be placed in an old shed or a tree, while a swallow box can be placed on the side of a house.
Build a pond: If you have the option of building a pond, it’ll be worth considering it. Small mammals will drink from the pond, birds will drink and wash themselves, and aquatic insects will eventually move in.
- Build a pond: If you have the option of building a pond, it’ll be worth considering it. Small mammals will drink from the pond, birds will drink and wash themselves, and aquatic insects will eventually move in.
So, what can I build?
Here are some ideas:
- Bug Hotels
- Hedgehog Hut
- Bird feeders & nest materials dispenser
- Nest box – Bird, Owl, and Bat
Bug Hotels:
Building a bug hotel in your garden can provide a haven for wildlife and help make use of your garden waste. A well-built hotel can shelter anything from hedgehogs to mice, solitary bees to bumblebees, and ladybirds to woodlice. You can build your bug hotel at any time of year. Remember, reuse what you have in your garden!
If you are not confident to do a DIY project, you can always purchase a pre-made bug hotel.
Hedgehog Hut:
To make a hedgehog hut, you need an old box such as a wooden crate, wood to make a tunnel, and some dry leaves, hay, or straw to fill the box to keep the hedgehogs nice and cosy. Put it in the quietest part of the garden and cover with leaves or logs to make it look as natural as possible. Hedgehogs usually use these little huts during Winter months when they’re looking for hibernation nests.
Bird Feeders & Nest Material Dispensers:
Birds need a constant supply of food, so having an easy and constant food supply available in the form of a bird feeder makes their little lives much easier. Using sunflower seeds, thistle seeds, and peanuts, offered into separate feeders, encourages a range of bird species to your garden. When using blends, choose mixtures containing sunflower seeds, millet, and cracked corn—the three most popular types of birdseed.
You can buy bird feeders, of all sizes and price ranges, in most shops today. But, if you would prefer to do a DIY project, a plastic bottle, sticks/a wooden spoon/lollipop stick, string, and food supply is all you need. Just remember, hang them high above the ground!
At certain times of the year, birds are out on the hunt for the best nest materials. Pieces of moss, small twigs, leaves, and so on, are usually what they look for, but, if given the chance, they will also use pieces of dog hair, straw, natural sheep’s wool, or small pieces of cotton cloth. You can put pieces of nest material into a bird feeder, or you can do a DIY project and use some household tools such as a whisk which you then hang-up outside.
Nest Boxes:
There is a variety of nest boxes you can buy or build. The most common are garden bird boxes, all varying in size to allow different species to nest in them. There is also bat boxes and owl boxes. Garden bird boxes can be placed in trees and on the sides of houses and sheds, about 4 metres minimum from the ground. The owl box is suitable for mounting in trees or structures, although pole mounting is more common. Nest boxes can be attached to a tree, a building such as a barn, or a post away from intense human activity. They should face into an open area away from prevailing winds. Your bat house should be about 12–20 feet above the ground and should be 20–30 feet from tree lines, structures, and other obstacles.
Share the fun:
Spread what you’ve learned to friends and family, showing them the amazing things we, as an individual or group, can do to help nature and the life it supports. Share your story on social media, using appropriate hashtags and so on. The more people who join this adventure, the better!
Remember, every little helps. A big garden isn’t necessary. A windowsill, a small yard, they can all be helpful in this mission of rewilding.
Get out there and have fun rewilding your patch of nature!
Written by Shóna Ní Chonchúir
