New homeowners on the Isle of Wight are being encouraged to give nature a home in their new home this autumn following the launch of a partnership between housebuilder Barratt Homes and the RSPB.
Barratt has teamed up with the conservation charity to give its customers 5 top tips this autumn on how they can keep your garden wildlife friendly to encourage them to do their bit for nature.
The cool tips and tricks on what to do as the seasons change are fun for all of the family and have been carefully selected to fit around a small budget and a time frame of less than 2 hours.
So if you want to do a little bit to help preserve Britain’s wildlife or you want to transform your garden for all of nature to enjoy this season, Barratt and the RSPB have got you covered.
1. Open up your very own bird café
A fantastic way for new homeowners to invite wildlife into their garden is by opening up a bird café to attract all kinds of colourful feathered friends. You can do this easily by investing in a bird feeder or a roofed bird table and getting a mixture of seeds, fruits, nuts and oats to put in them. Different types of birds prefer different types of food, so if you’re looking to have variety in your garden, be sure to pick up an assortment of bird food. Other than topping up the bird feed when it’s empty and making sure you clean your feeders often, you can sit back, relax and enjoy your very own wildlife show in the comfort of your garden.
Michelle Storer, sales director at Barratt said:
“We’ve chosen the bird café as our absolute top tip because I think it’s a great way for new homeowners to add a bit of wildlife and colour to their gardens without having to spend hours on it. This is the perfect activity to take part in if you’re looking for something easy to do that you can enjoy all year round. Birds are fascinating creatures and we, as a country, should treasure them and be able to appreciate their mesmerising behaviours up close.”
2. Make a butterfly banquet from your leftovers
Autumn butterflies like red admirals, painted ladies and comma butterflies require sugary treats every so often this season so homeowners can help them feast by putting mushy bananas in a sheltered chest high place in their garden for them to enjoy. This top tip requires little effort and is perfect for homeowners looking to add an extra splash of colour to their new garden. As the mashed up banana ferments, the stunning butterflies should pay you a visit and whilst they are enjoying their treat they can stay in your garden for hours on end.
3. Create a safe hideaway by building a wildlife hotel
As we move out of summer and the colder weather draws in for autumn, more ambitious homeowners might want to try building a safe hideaway for bugs and creepy crawlies to live in. This can be done by gathering old materials such as wood and soil and crafting a small structure as a base for the hotel. Then, the idea is to provide as many different holes, spaces, tunnels and cosy beds for all types of wildlife to climb into to keep them safe.
4. Support Remembrance Day and give bees a banquet by sowing a poppy patch
Here, new homeowners can show their support for Remembrance Day whilst giving bees a banquet and providing a dense cover for other creatures by sowing a poppy patch. By having striking poppies in your new garden, not only will you impress your new neighbours with your attractive new display, but you’ll be providing a feeding ground for bees that’s sure to be popular with all wildlife around you. The RSPB recommends sowing your seeds in either autumn or spring for the best results.
5. Create a hedgehog highway and connect with your neighbours
Autumn is a busy time of year for a lot of wildlife creatures as they prepare for the cooler months, and hedgehogs are no exception as they start planning for hibernation. By creating a hedgehog highway and making a safe ‘corridor’ in your fence for the little critters to move through, it’s a great way to connect with your neighbours and give nature a home at the same time. The hole in the fence will help to protect the hedgehogs, which walk up to a mile a night, from other animals and help them find the perfect spot to hibernate.
Michelle continued:
“Our partnership with the RSPB is important to help demonstrate how we can protect and enhance the biodiversity of the local area, benefitting our customers and the wildlife around our developments.
“We’ve handpicked these fantastic tips from the RSPB as the easiest and least time consuming ways that customers moving into their new homes can do their bit for nature in autumn.
“When moving home everyone is busy and we understand that no one has a lot of time to spend in the garden but it is important to remember that the wildlife around us also need homes and these top tips are really fun and easy ways for everyone to get involved with that”.
The partnership will also see Barratt Homes working with the RSPB to raise employee awareness of wildlife-friendly best practice across its sites on a national level.
