Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jun 13, 2004 18:25:30 GMT 1
Woodland and Wildlife Project
Many of us have recently been following and thoroughly enjoying Bill Oddie’s Britain Goes Wild programme on BBC2. Some may even have pledged to ‘Make Space for Nature’ by visiting www.bbc.co.uk/nature or even joined the forum discussions on that website.
Members of TRPD’s Woodland and Wildlife Project are all keen to do what little they can to help and encourage British wildlife into their gardens and also to participate in local events that stimulate an interest in nature and encourage others to do the same. However, essentially the project itself is really little more than a social group of individuals sharing similar interests and who exchange notes and ideas that they are able to put into practice or who may join forces for outings to places of interest or local nature walks, berry and seed gathering jaunts in the autumn.
Members’ personal activities include encouraging birds into their gardens by hanging a range of feeders, providing plants of the type to encourage insects, fruits, seed heads and nuts, as well as composting waste - which is yet another form of encouraging insects as a food source for birds.
The group itself is entirely self-supporting and by the voluntary contributions of individual members, each covering their own expenses as regards whatever food, plants, nest boxes and travelling expenses when they go on outings. However, by gathering and propagating seeds, berries and nuts etc. they are also able to plant young trees in suitable locations and to sell surplus plants and trees at events such as car boot sales, thus generating a small income for the group that can either be donated to related charities or used to provide nest boxes in suitable secluded sites besides helping the young trees to find new planting locations with the purchasers.
Sadly, this year one group member, having been delighted when a great tit nested in a box at her allotment, was devastated when children broke in and stole, not only the nest box but also the tiny hatchlings.
The need for greater education and fostering appreciation for our native wildlife doesn’t only include children. So many adults have scant regard for nature and would rather resort to herbicides, pesticides and other poisons with little regard for anything other that their own convenience. Only recently one of my neighbours decided to spray a systemic weed-killer over the garden wall onto the trees, shrubs and even the tubs containing young saplings that had been destined for use as hedging plants and to replace others damaged and destroyed when someone ran a bulldozer through a previously planted young beech and holly hedge! It is this event that has partially prompted the work that will be going on in my own garden over the next few weeks. A fence to protect whatever plants will then replace those that have had to be removed due to the poison. At least the elder and some of the buddleia should be able to be saved, but it was hard work for Matt digging up the dying bushes and before the rabbits ate the poisoned plants.
On the other side of the garden there is a dry-stone wall that has unfortunately deteriorated and is now in danger of toppling into the other neighbour’s garden. Rather than replace that with a fence, the plan is to dismantle it, dig out the foundations and for it to then be rebuilt, and to include planting pockets and nesting holes for the little wren and other small birds that use such cavities. Ivy, for its berries and cover, will also be planted and, although the garden is very small it already has two lopped Lawson Leylandii trees – great for cover, nesting and shelter for small birds - the elder tree, which despite only being about 5 years old is this year a mass of flowers, a tall buddleia and a dogwood bush. I also have a young rowan tree that I hope also to find space for and to be able to protect from the rabbits. Three of those currently have the run of the garden and do a grand job of keeping the grass and everything else in check! Once all the hard landscaping has been done, they will find themselves restricted to one particular area, I hope. Perhaps then I’ll be able to grow a few other plants that will attract insects and do their bit to encourage nature into the garden?
At the moment it is resembling a building site and, where the area has been dug out to lay a concrete slab for the ‘rabbit’ shed to go, I have just noticed an injured jackdaw hunting for food. That seems to be lame but I am fairly sure it can fly, although didn’t seem perturbed to see me only a few yards away.
Perhaps I should make a pictorial record of progress there and photograph some of the garden visitors that come to inspect the work as it is done? At least we have been able to delay the start on that long enough to allow the fledgling sparrows to vacate their nest in one of the Lawson’s. Those are now flying well and this morning one was perched on the high wall that separates the yard from the garden and demanding to be fed by its parents. A couple of days ago four baby sparrows were on one of the little terraced walls (the garden is quite steep, hence terraced) and all with their beaks open and wings fluttering, as they do when inviting their parents to feed them.
When I get the chance I’ll also take the camera around to the homes of our other members and introduce you to them and tell more of what they do to encourage wildlife into their gardens. We will also share a little of our occasional outings and forays into the nearby countryside, if you wish?
One of the benefits of forming a local project group like this is that wild bird food can be purchased in bulk and shared amongst the members. A sack full at a time works out much less expensive than individuals buying small quantities each week. Also we share recipes for things like fat balls, and a basic raw pasty mix, the scraps left over from a pie or blocks of lard mixed with some sunflower seeds, currents, chopped nuts, budgie seed etc. and rolled into balls that can then be hung up for the birds, provides a valuable food source and will encourage them into members’ gardens all year around.
Apart from providing much pleasure simply from watching the garden visitors at fairly close range, they provide considerable inspiration for those keen on photography or painting.
Al
Many of us have recently been following and thoroughly enjoying Bill Oddie’s Britain Goes Wild programme on BBC2. Some may even have pledged to ‘Make Space for Nature’ by visiting www.bbc.co.uk/nature or even joined the forum discussions on that website.
Members of TRPD’s Woodland and Wildlife Project are all keen to do what little they can to help and encourage British wildlife into their gardens and also to participate in local events that stimulate an interest in nature and encourage others to do the same. However, essentially the project itself is really little more than a social group of individuals sharing similar interests and who exchange notes and ideas that they are able to put into practice or who may join forces for outings to places of interest or local nature walks, berry and seed gathering jaunts in the autumn.
Members’ personal activities include encouraging birds into their gardens by hanging a range of feeders, providing plants of the type to encourage insects, fruits, seed heads and nuts, as well as composting waste - which is yet another form of encouraging insects as a food source for birds.
The group itself is entirely self-supporting and by the voluntary contributions of individual members, each covering their own expenses as regards whatever food, plants, nest boxes and travelling expenses when they go on outings. However, by gathering and propagating seeds, berries and nuts etc. they are also able to plant young trees in suitable locations and to sell surplus plants and trees at events such as car boot sales, thus generating a small income for the group that can either be donated to related charities or used to provide nest boxes in suitable secluded sites besides helping the young trees to find new planting locations with the purchasers.
Sadly, this year one group member, having been delighted when a great tit nested in a box at her allotment, was devastated when children broke in and stole, not only the nest box but also the tiny hatchlings.
The need for greater education and fostering appreciation for our native wildlife doesn’t only include children. So many adults have scant regard for nature and would rather resort to herbicides, pesticides and other poisons with little regard for anything other that their own convenience. Only recently one of my neighbours decided to spray a systemic weed-killer over the garden wall onto the trees, shrubs and even the tubs containing young saplings that had been destined for use as hedging plants and to replace others damaged and destroyed when someone ran a bulldozer through a previously planted young beech and holly hedge! It is this event that has partially prompted the work that will be going on in my own garden over the next few weeks. A fence to protect whatever plants will then replace those that have had to be removed due to the poison. At least the elder and some of the buddleia should be able to be saved, but it was hard work for Matt digging up the dying bushes and before the rabbits ate the poisoned plants.
On the other side of the garden there is a dry-stone wall that has unfortunately deteriorated and is now in danger of toppling into the other neighbour’s garden. Rather than replace that with a fence, the plan is to dismantle it, dig out the foundations and for it to then be rebuilt, and to include planting pockets and nesting holes for the little wren and other small birds that use such cavities. Ivy, for its berries and cover, will also be planted and, although the garden is very small it already has two lopped Lawson Leylandii trees – great for cover, nesting and shelter for small birds - the elder tree, which despite only being about 5 years old is this year a mass of flowers, a tall buddleia and a dogwood bush. I also have a young rowan tree that I hope also to find space for and to be able to protect from the rabbits. Three of those currently have the run of the garden and do a grand job of keeping the grass and everything else in check! Once all the hard landscaping has been done, they will find themselves restricted to one particular area, I hope. Perhaps then I’ll be able to grow a few other plants that will attract insects and do their bit to encourage nature into the garden?
At the moment it is resembling a building site and, where the area has been dug out to lay a concrete slab for the ‘rabbit’ shed to go, I have just noticed an injured jackdaw hunting for food. That seems to be lame but I am fairly sure it can fly, although didn’t seem perturbed to see me only a few yards away.
Perhaps I should make a pictorial record of progress there and photograph some of the garden visitors that come to inspect the work as it is done? At least we have been able to delay the start on that long enough to allow the fledgling sparrows to vacate their nest in one of the Lawson’s. Those are now flying well and this morning one was perched on the high wall that separates the yard from the garden and demanding to be fed by its parents. A couple of days ago four baby sparrows were on one of the little terraced walls (the garden is quite steep, hence terraced) and all with their beaks open and wings fluttering, as they do when inviting their parents to feed them.
When I get the chance I’ll also take the camera around to the homes of our other members and introduce you to them and tell more of what they do to encourage wildlife into their gardens. We will also share a little of our occasional outings and forays into the nearby countryside, if you wish?
One of the benefits of forming a local project group like this is that wild bird food can be purchased in bulk and shared amongst the members. A sack full at a time works out much less expensive than individuals buying small quantities each week. Also we share recipes for things like fat balls, and a basic raw pasty mix, the scraps left over from a pie or blocks of lard mixed with some sunflower seeds, currents, chopped nuts, budgie seed etc. and rolled into balls that can then be hung up for the birds, provides a valuable food source and will encourage them into members’ gardens all year around.
Apart from providing much pleasure simply from watching the garden visitors at fairly close range, they provide considerable inspiration for those keen on photography or painting.
Al