Support wildlife in winter

Wildlife needs some extra help during the winter months, so we’re sharing our top tips for how you can support wildlife in winter. It’s tempting when we start to see signs of Spring to get outside and tidy up our outside spaces, whether you have a garden or yard or even just some pots, our outdoor areas can be a haven for all kinds of wildlife. In Winter wildlife is often hibernating or resting, and the wildlife that we see out and about may well need some additional support from us. Of that is in the form of simply doing nothing and just allowing our gardens and outdoor spaces to naturally help out. There are some specific things we can do though to give our wildlife a little bit of a boost through the cold months.

5 ways to support wildlife in Winter

• Put food out for the birds every day – as well as insects, many birds also benefit from other types of foods and putting food out regularly in the winter months can help when the pickings are lean elsewhere and can give them a safe place to come daily. Things like fruits and seeds are great as well as some kinds of fats. For a full list, check out the RSPB website for the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’.
• Keep ponds and water sources free from ice with a simple trick – just pop a ball into it, a tennis ball is a good size, and will float. This helps to keep the water from completely freezing over, which allows birds and other wildlife to have access to the water, even in the cold months.
• Leave piles of leaves or other areas where wildlife can hibernate, it’s really tempting to start clearing ready for Spring, but it’s much better to leave these areas alone as they will be being used by all sorts of creatures to keep warm and dry over the winter months. Always check for hedgehogs before you clear an area like this.
• Put out cat food and fresh water daily if you have regular hedgehog visitors, milk and bread are really bad for them, so make sure you’re feeding them correctly if they come in to your garden. If the food is good, they’ll be back regularly and you could set up a night vision camera to watch them. For more information about hedgehogs, visit the British Hedgehog Preservation Society website.
• Less is more – an undisturbed garden is more likely to be full of wildlife during the winter, from mammals to insects who love to find small spaces like logs and leaf piles to keep warm in. Some insects hibernate too. Leaving our outdoors spaces alone allows them all to live safely through the winter months, ready to get back out there in the warmer weather! So next time you’re tempted to have a garden tidy up, make a cuppa and sit and watch the wildlife that is around instead!

There are so many different ways to support wildlife in winter and we definitely recommend finding out as much as you can about the ways you can help. Head over to The Wildlife Trusts find out more about specific types of wildlife and ways to help support them throughout the year.