It’s a Wild Life! 

It’s not hard to see why children love the wild, wondrous world of birds, bugs and mini beasties.  Within easy reach, an endless and fascinating voyage of discovery takes young nature sleuths into unknown territory as they explore back gardens and parks to find a whole collection of wildlife on their doorstep. 

The advantages to this are plentiful.  Not only is it educational, but it teaches children to respect their environment - they learn how their actions can affect the environment.  Plus, of course, there is always a fascination in creatures and critters that are smaller than they are. Grasp at this natural love of the outdoors and watch your child happily embrace wildlife.

National Wildlife Week

This year, National Wildlife Week has extended into three weeks.  This event, running from 30 May right through to 20 June, offers a special triple bill. It gives everyone the chance to get involved in one or a number of events that celebrate the diversity of the UK’s natural heritage whilst raising an awareness of conservation issues. Families have the chance to engage with wildlife by taking part in a local Wildlife Trust event such as owl encounters, badger, butterfly and bird walks, rockpool rambles, nature art workshops, talks about moths, bats and other creatures of the night or perhaps a visit to a working wildlife-friendly farm.

Wildlife Week also allows youngsters a chance to discover first-hand more about The Wildlife Trusts’ valuable conservation work, such as projects to conserve otters and water voles, red squirrel havens or the campaign to save dolphins and basking sharks. Stephanie Hilborne, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “People are realising there’s a wealth of wildlife on their doorstep and, with the help of their local Wildlife Trust, they can find out more about how to help improve their neighbourhood environment and protect the UK’s wildlife”. For further information go to www.wildlifetrusts.org.

Wildlife Watch

The Wildlife Trust’s aims are to promote and protect wildlife and the environment, to create and enhance wildlife havens, and to inspire people about the natural world. The junior branch of the organization is Wildlife Watch, the UK’s leading environmental club for children, and this is open to any age yet is most suitable for ages 8-14. The club encourages young wildlife fans and nature sleuths to explore the surrounding environment, getting closer to nature in the process. Investigative projects are often factual, informal, and fun, and can encompass anything from environmental artwork and waste recycling, to barn owl surveys, pond dipping and wild flower fun days. To find out more go to www.wildlifewatch.org.uk.

Go wild with wildlife activities

Children can learn about and encourage wildlife, by directly interacting with nature - literally rolling up their little sleeves and getting stuck in. There really are plenty of activities that you can introduce to your youngster - some are listed below. But sometimes, the beauty of nature is in its simplicity – such as looking at spider’s webs on dewy mornings and watching the changing colours and shapes in the sky as the day rolls by.

Either independently or with a local wildlife group, there is a variety of activities to encourage a child to learn more about creatures and their habitats.  These include pond-dipping for water based creatures, searching for traces and tracks of dormice, bug hunting for spiders, ants and other equally interesting beasties, identifying different wild flowers, and rockpool rambles in search of saltwater inhabitants.  Take a look at the website of your local council or environmental group to find a number of child-friendly activities.  And encourage your child’s interest to flourish by going on regular walks to the local forest, park, moorland or beach. Similarly, you can nurture wildlife closer to home – as close as the garden in fact…

Attract wildlife to your garden

If you are not too tidy, you will attract wildlife to your green patch.  The messy areas often provide shelter for a host of minibeasts and other creatures such as hedgehogs. Here are ways to encourage some creatures to your garden:

Birds: Make a nest or bird box to get more birds to flock to your garden. Shrubbery and climbers also make excellent nesting areas. Provide a delicious feast of seed mixtures, old bits of bread and cake to lure feathered friends to your garden.

Butterflies: As our natural environment is slowly diminished and habitats are being destroyed, the delicate and colourful butterfly is becoming a more rare sight. These beautiful creatures savour the sweet, energy-rich nectar produced by flowers to attract pollinators, so by providing more nectar in the garden you will not only attract more butterflies but also bees, moths, beetles, hoverflies and birds.

Frogs and Toads: Sadly, over 70% of the UK’s ponds have been lost over the last 100 years.  So, by creating a wildlife pond in your own garden, you can really make a difference to the habitat of animals such as frogs and toads that rely heavily on these watery havens for their survival. Of course, ponds with very young children don’t always mix well. Do ensure that safety guards or nets are in place.

Do you want to find out more? BBC Breathing Places: www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces is a superb website that provides the perfect temptation to get young people out in a ‘Breathing Space’ - healthy for the environment and healthy for the human mind. 

By Kirsty Woodgate