Building a wildlife garden

[APC]

Hi there,

My girlfriend works at a local primary school which has been offered £500 from a well known bank to use on an environmental project. I have expressed an interest in planning and possibly building it depending on spare time. At present I am looking to further the cash by £750-1500 (depending on whether I can get a grant from Wessex Water).

At present, I am certain that the site will need a pond. I have never built a pond before but have been advised that it might need to be childproofed with a fence. I can see the fence taking up the lions share of the cash.

Aside from a wildlife pond, what other features would you lot suggest I include? I'm thinking a patch for sunflowers or tomatos or some form of veg that they can grow as a kind of competition to see which classes veg is biggest etc.

Aside from that, perhaps a bird feeder.

Now I have several points that I think are relevant. First is that the site is about 200-300m away from heathland, so I am thinking that this should be tied in so that kids get an awareness of how important heathland is and why they shouldn't burn it. I think heathlands would be the general theme but how that would tie in with the pond and with veg planting I don't know. Secondly, the site is in a bit of a dodgy area and I am paranoid (at least not particularly trusting) that local kids will take pleasure in destroying it given half the chance. This makes me think that I don't want to have too much complex stuff in there.

I am happy to plan the project in my spare time and will attempt to spend as much time as possible on the practical side so that it keeps the cost down. Ideally, I would have some of the kids help me on some parts of it but I wouldn't want to bore them with digging a pond or laying surfaces. What aspects do you think that kids could help on?


Basically, I've never planned something like this before, but really want to do it. I'm just lacking an overall plan.

Help!

Please!

Thanks!

[almostnormal]

lots of things you could do with a site for wildlife, best bet is probably to google wildlife gardening of indeed, check out the threads on WAB that deal with wildlife gardening. bird feeders and boxes, aswell as mammal boxes and bat boxes are always a good bet, and there are some directions for making them on the rspb website (The RSPB) and also the bat trust (The Bat Conservation Trust) you could also have a go at making bug boxes. depending on how old the kids are this is something that they could help with (under supervision of course). wildflower borders can be established quite easily with generic wildflower mixes, again something the kids could help with, sunflowers are good fun to grow. if you want to link it in with the heathland, which sounds like a good idea to me, you could pant heather (common) and bilberry etc to create a heathland bed. depending on the size of the site it might be possible to create several different types of habitat - heathland, wetland, wildflower meadow etc.

on a different note though i'd be wary of slamming all heathland burning, sometimes its a necessary management tool, its only when its done badly that it becomes problematic. the new forest is a good place to see it done right - they control gorse and heather through burning as this causes regeneration of heather leading to more diverse vegetation. i stress however that they do this on a pretty big rotation, and its for conservation purposes.

[Tursiops2]

Originally Posted by APC

At present, I am certain that the site will need a pond. I have never built a pond before but have been advised that it might need to be childproofed with a fence. I can see the fence taking up the lions share of the cash.

hi APC
As an alternative to fencing, consider planting a living willow fence.
More info here: Living Willow
(there are other suppliers, this is just the most informative website I could find)

Originally Posted by APC

Basically, I've never planned something like this before, but really want to do it. I'm just lacking an overall plan.

Help!

Please!

Thanks!

I'm a qualified garden designer, I can help you with this. PM me if you're interested (I don't practise professionally, so I'm not touting for business).
T2

[APC]

Originally Posted by almostnormal

lots of things you could do with a site for wildlife, best bet is probably to google wildlife gardening of indeed, check out the threads on WAB that deal with wildlife gardening. bird feeders and boxes, aswell as mammal boxes and bat boxes are always a good bet, and there are some directions for making them on the rspb website (The RSPB) and also the bat trust (The Bat Conservation Trust) you could also have a go at making bug boxes. depending on how old the kids are this is something that they could help with (under supervision of course). wildflower borders can be established quite easily with generic wildflower mixes, again something the kids could help with, sunflowers are good fun to grow. if you want to link it in with the heathland, which sounds like a good idea to me, you could pant heather (common) and bilberry etc to create a heathland bed. depending on the size of the site it might be possible to create several different types of habitat - heathland, wetland, wildflower meadow etc.

on a different note though i'd be wary of slamming all heathland burning, sometimes its a necessary management tool, its only when its done badly that it becomes problematic. the new forest is a good place to see it done right - they control gorse and heather through burning as this causes regeneration of heather leading to more diverse vegetation. i stress however that they do this on a pretty big rotation, and its for conservation purposes.

There's some good ideas there thanks! I think it'll be a good idea to have a patch of heathland plants if I have a big enough area to use (still waiting on the exact size and shape of the plot).

With regards heathland burning, I'm well aware of the benefits of managed burns, I would also be up for explaining why it is good to the kids, but in my area, heath burning is the local pastime. Luckily not so much this year with all the wet weather. They need to know not to do it themselves! (although I reckon an equal amount of burns are caused by adults as are burns by kids). Perhaps I could try and get sponsorship from Urban Heaths Partnership or the Fire Brigade.

[APC]

Tursipos: Willow fencing around the pond sounds like an extremely good idea too!!


Thankyou for your helps so far people! There are some really good ideas here!

[almostnormal]

Originally Posted by APC

There's some good ideas there thanks! I think it'll be a good idea to have a patch of heathland plants if I have a big enough area to use (still waiting on the exact size and shape of the plot).

With regards heathland burning, I'm well aware of the benefits of managed burns, I would also be up for explaining why it is good to the kids, but in my area, heath burning is the local pastime. Luckily not so much this year with all the wet weather. They need to know not to do it themselves! (although I reckon an equal amount of burns are caused by adults as are burns by kids). Perhaps I could try and get sponsorship from Urban Heaths Partnership or the Fire Brigade.

ah, i see what you mean, yes that would be a good example of how its done poorly! i'll try and dig out the information i have on it, i think some of it is quite kid friendly. that might be a nice project though, get some of the local kids involved in designing a leaflet or poster showing why its bad, to go up in the patch....it worked for clearing up after dogs!

[Cazzie]

Sounds a wonderful project APC, and well done you for taking it on!!!

T2 posted this a little while ago and I was really taken with the concept - maybe the kids could build one (or bit's of one) in your design?...

http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/ches...e_habitat2.pdf

Got many trees about? I'd certainly go for loads of bird boxes and bat boxes too of course, log piles etc. a wildflower meadow would be fantastic (great for butterflies, moths etc.) - there's just so much that can be made for peanuts that is wildlife friendly!

Please keep us posted - would love to follow what you're doing and piccies are a must lol!

[smartie]

Good for you for taking this on. Don't forget to ask the children themselves what they would like to see and do in it - they may well have some very specific requirements that you (and we) wouldn't think of.

[Jez]

How about making a living willow arbour from willow canes popped in the ground they should regenerate their own roots and form to make a teepee which can be sat under or a chamomile bench is easily achieveable! Native hedging is very valuble to birds hedgehogs and all manner of insects and trees can cost as little as £2 a tree!! Pond creation for Newts, frogs and a whole lot more and then theres lots of wild flowers which are beneficial to all manner of insects. The more diverse the better

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

I'd definatly have an area set aside for butterflies etc, plenty of nectar type plants such as buddlea, rudbeckia, sedums etc, you can get loads of wild flower mixtures that are great for this type of thing.

There are organisations that will give projects like this some tree's to plant, i know my local council where doing something similar. I reckon if you got in touch with some organisations like the Forrestry commision you'd have some joy, check this link out

Woodland Trust