For ideas of how to make your school grounds and gardens more interesting and wildlife friendly why not look at the following ideas or talk to one our Education Officers.

How to go Wild in your Garden:

Wildlife Gardening Basics

Encouraging wildlife into your garden is easy.  It doesn’t matter how big or small your garden is, make a few simple changes and you will be amazed at the wealth of wildlife you encourage to visit.

All you need to do is remember the three basic elements:

• Provide as wide a variety of food sources as you can and you will encourage all sorts of wildlife.  Bird feeders are great but are only the start.  Include flowering shrubs with berries and nuts for birds – which will also help control snails and slugs.
• All wildlife needs water and the more ways you can provide access to water the better.  Bird baths are helpful, but a pond will provide drinking water and act as an extra habitat too.
• Include as wide a variety of habitats as possible and you will be providing shelter from the wind and rain, and from predators, as well as places for creatures to nest and breed.

Garden Grub

A simple way to encourage a wealth of wildlife to visit your garden is  by providing a wide variety of food sources throughout the year:

• Grow a mixture of native and ornamental plants.  Ornamental plants often flower or bear fruit before our native species have started or after they have stopped, lengthening the season that food is available.  This can be really useful in harsh winters.
• Include nectar and pollen-rich plants which flower at different times of day and year - these will provide food for bees, butterflies and other flower-visiting insects.  Why not plant night-flowering or scented stocks to attract moths to your garden?
• Plant fruiting trees and shrubs - these can provide important winter food sources for mammals and birds.  Try leaving some fruit on the tree or leave some windfalls to attract winter bird visitors such as redwings and fieldfares.
• Cutting back some perennials in spring rather than autumn will provide seed heads as a further source of food for birds, as well as providing valuable shelter for hibernating insects.
• The wider the variety of plants you include, the wider the variety of insects you will attract, which in turn will attract birds, mammals and amphibians.