Make a splash with water
If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to attract wildlife to your outdoor space, it’s water. Whether you provide a simple bird bath or a pond, it will be a real lifeline for all sorts of species and a calming focal point for people too. We have lots of advice to help you decide which option is right for you.
This activity can be completed as part of Schools/Families Wild Challenge or Nature on your Doorstep. The instructions for ‘How to make a small wildlife pond’ enable completion of Build a minipond (for Schools) and Make a minipond (for Families).
Instructions
Set up a bird bath
Bird baths are the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to offer water, making them perfect if time or money are tight. They also provide hours of entertainment as birds come down to drink and enthusiastically splash about! Insects, like bees, often visit for a sip too. You might think that bird baths are only necessary during the hot summer months, but they’re equally important during cold winter weather, when natural sources freeze over (just remember that you’ll need a willing volunteer to keep the bird bath ice-free when temperatures drop).
We’ve got some great advice on making your own bird bath using an old dustbin lid or plant saucer. Or if you prefer, you could splash out on a ready-made version.
It’s important to keep your bird bath clean as poor hygiene can risk spreading disease among birds. Here’s how to keep your garden birds healthy.
Create a mini pond
If you don’t have room for a big pond, don’t worry – size isn’t everything. You can still help wildlife by creating a mini one using a washing up bowl or old Belfast sink. Although it will freeze easily and attract fewer minibeasts than a big pond, birds and other animals may come to drink and bathe. Just remember, if you’re using a container with sheer sides, it’s important to pile gravel or rocks at the edge of your mini pond, or create a ramp, so that animals can climb out if they fall in.
We have full step-by-step instructions and a video to help you create your mini pond and our friends at the Wildlife Gardening Forum have lots of tips too.
