Wildlife pathways help to lengthen and enhance the green corridors within the Wantage area, allowing more connectivity and reducing fragmentation.
What can I do to help?
Plant/Extend a Hedge: Whether you’re a gardener or a farmer, planting a new hedge or extending an existing one can have huge benefits for wildlife. A mix of native tree and shrub species that provide food, shelter and somewhere to breed for so many creatures. A growing hedge also sequesters carbon just like a growing tree.
Managing road verges differently: Not all road verges need to be cut on a regular basis. Many could provide an essential source of pollen for bees, butterflies and other pollinators for most of the year. Have a look at the Plantlife Verges Campaign.
“Adopt” a local green space: Does that bit of grass outside your house need to be mown every few weeks or could it be managed in a different way to become a mini-meadow or wildflower-patch instead? There are lots of alternative options – have a look at our guidance Take action for pollinators. This action can save carbon and Council funds for more crucial services, as well as supporting biodiversity.
Turn your lawn into a mini meadow: Together our gardens provide a huge green corridor and could help link up rarer habitats. Treating your garden as a mini nature reserve can provide significant benefits for local wildlife – there’s great advice on mini-meadows and wildflower patches on BBOWT’s website here.
Create a hedgehog hole: Close-boarded garden fencing prevents wildlife from getting in or out of your garden. Hedgehogs need a much larger territory than your garden can provide – make a hole at the base of your fence and let them and other wildlife in. A hole of 13cm (5 inches) is big enough; it’s as simple as that! For more advice on looking out for hedgehogs see our guidance Take action for hedgehogs.
Add a pond: Frogs, toads and newts often travel surprising distances between their breeding and hibernation sites. Adding a pond in your garden can provide a pit stop or alternative breeding place. You might be surprised what else turns up as many beetles and dragonfly travel from pond to pond. See our guidance Take action for frogs and toads for more pond advice and useful links. We can create a network of mini wetlands across Wantage and Grove to help nature thrive!
Wild Wantage images ©Mark Bradfield / Lucy Duerdoth