'IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME'

Easy tips which you can do to help our dwindling wildlife!

Everyone who knows me, or doesn’t, should know by now that wildlife is a HUGE part of my life.

It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning, gives me motivation, is the inspiration to all of my artwork and has built and shaped me as a person.

But it needs our help.

All around us, wildlife is dwindling before our very eyes due to habitat loss, intense farming practices, climate change and just humans in general.

Us humans are the only species that can reverse this fast decline.

I’m going to give you some super easy tips on how you can help save our precious wildlife, no matter where you live!

  • Leave an unkept ‘wild patch’ in your garden – even if it’s small! Plants such as nettles are vital to species like moths and butterflies.
  • Hedgehog Highway – cut a hole in your fence so hedgehogs are able to pass through – they can travel up to 2km a night!
  • Wood Pile – leave pile of old logs and dead leaves for insects to thrive.
  • Feed the birds – especially in winter when food is scarce. Feeders placed up high, away from predators such as cats is ideal.
  • Keep your cat in! – keep bird feeders out of its reach, keep it indoors especially during spring (baby bird time). Cats are an unnatural predator to our ecosystem and kill millions of birds & other wildlife each year.
  • Dig a pond – shallow ponds are a very useful element for wildlife, especially our amphibians! Don’t forget to keep it clean by using barley straw to keep harmful algae at bay.
  • Plant bee-friendly flowers – sustain our native pollinators; hardy salvia, redbeckia, lavender and nepeta are some of their favourites! 
  • Feed your hogs – put some food out for your hedgehogs; they love dried cat/dog food, dried fruit & cooked veggies. I personally soak some dried dog food in a drop of water for them, they love it! Don’t forget water, too!
  • Put up a bird box – stay away from novelty, coloured nest boxes as these can attract predators. Keep it natural and away from bird feeders: Birds like to be secluded away from other potential birds that are threatening their territory.
  • Avoid chemicals – limit the amount of chemicals you use. Chlorine bleaches for example, react with other minerals that can be super toxic to wildlife. Lots of eco alternatives are available!
  • Go vegan! – or at the very least, eat less red meat – Animal agriculture has one of the biggest contributors to climate change. Not to mention the amount of natural habitat that is destroyed to grow feed for livestock.
  • Plant a window box – this is perfect if you don’t have a garden! Fill with herbs and wild flowers, bees and insects will love them as much as you do.
  • Put up a swift box – Swifts like high, deep crevices to nest, but because we’ve lost many old houses and buildings, and as roof spaces are filled or mended, their numbers have declined dramatically.
  • Take care driving at night – especially in winter, when dusk is at rush-hour when most nocturnal animals come out. Birds such as owls fly low to hunt, so keep an extra eye out for this and other wildlife at dusk.
  • Avoid using pesticides – use non-toxic, non-chemical alternatives
  • Ditch plastic! – We’ve all seen what a negative impact single use plastics have on our planet. Always opt for the plastic-free option where possible and don’t forget your bag for life!

  • Check before mowing – if you mow your lawn, do a scan to make sure any animals such as hedgehogs aren’t resting nearby. They often get injured by electric garden equipment.

Here’s one of the hedgehogs that regularly visits my garden!

See, saving wildlife is easier than you think!

If you have any concerns or queries regarding wildlife, do get in touch, I love to help! @krysthecreator