GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE CHECKLIST

Many of us want to encourage wildlife in our gardens but would like a method of marking the steps we have taken and identifying what we might do next, this scheme is to help us along this path.

For wildlife to flourish they need 3 essentials that you can provide in your garden:

  • Water

  • Food

  • Shelter (including places to raise young)

The following checklist can be used to assess and plan for wildlife in your garden over the coming year. Nature Chain will be providing articles, resources and talks on how to create these areas in your garden over the coming months.

Water

Include one of following for wildlife to drink and bathe:

  • Birdbath

  • Pond – container pond, small pond or large pond depending on space available

  • Bog Garden

Food

Aim to provide a variety of foods in your garden, at least 3 of the following:

  • Foliage for grazers such as caterpillars

  • Berries, seeds and nuts

  • Nectar and pollen throughout the spring, summer and autumn

  • Bird feeder

Shelter

Creatures need shelter to hide from predators, breed, sleep, overwinter and to travel through.

Aim to provide a variety of shelter in your garden, at least 3 of the following:

  • Mixed hedge or dense shrubs – where possible add native hedging

  • Evergreen trees or shrubs

  • Log or twig piles

  • Compost heap

  • Decomposing plants left over the winter

  • Long grass or meadow area

  • Wooded area

  • Ground cover

  • Rock pile or old wall

  • Roosting box

  • Insect hotel

  • Hedgehog corridors

We are recommending that as part of Nature Chain we prioritise wildlife habitat in 20% of our gardens or more if you can! By joining Nature Chain we would also ask you to include as many of the following as possible in your garden practice:

Soil and Water conservation

  • Use a rainwater butt

  • Use mulch to conserve water in the soil

  • Limit use of a hosepipe

  • Only use peat free bought compost

Organic Practices

  • Eliminate chemical pesticides

  • Eliminate chemical fertiliser

  • Use a compost bin

  • Use all the recycling available locally

Encourage Native Species

  • Reduce mown lawn areas

  • Reduce invasive non-native species

  • Plant native species