12 Days of Blogmas: Day 12 🕊️

On the twelfth day of Christmas, GingerLeafLiving gave to me……………………….. Caring for winter wildlife!

We’ve made it to the end of Blogmas 2024! Hopefully by now you are nearly ready for the Christmas celebrations, or just some well deserved time off. To round up the series, today we will be discussing things you can do in your garden and outdoor space to care for your local wildlife over the festive season. We are intrinsically linked to nature, and it’s health is a reflection of our own health and that of the planet’s. Making your space a haven for wildlife and enjoying watching them is one of the best things you can do with your time over Christmas. Here are a few ideas to get you started…

• Water – Essential for life, water is used by wildlife both as a source of hydration and also for washing in. It is important that during this colder season you make sure any water sources in your garden, be it a birdbath or drinking bowl on the ground, remain usable and don’t get frozen over for long periods. If your water source does freeze over, you can use some warmer water to gentle defrost it again. If you have a pond that freezes over, it is best to gently defrost a hole in the ice using a saucepan with hot water to allow access to the water, rather than smashing the ice which can impact the life below. These resources are vital for so many species, so will keep wildlife coming back to your garden all through the winter 💧❄️

• Feeding – As food becomes scarce during the winter months, and natural food sources are becoming harder to find, we can help wildlife to get through the season with supplementary feeding. Whether you have a small outdoor space you add a bird feeder to, or have a garden where you can lay down food for small mammals, there are plenty of opportunities to help out. Christmas is a time of generosity and sharing, and this extends to nature too. Sharing with our garden friends not only helps them out during this harsh season, but is really good for our own wellbeing too – helping others makes us feel good and when you can enjoy the wonderful sight of birds and other animals enjoying the food you’ve put out from your window or garden, it is a wonderful thing 💖🥜

• Habitats – If you use your time over the festive break to do some pruning in the garden, collect up all the trimmings and debris and create a habitat pile in your garden for wildlife to use. Nature has its own circular system where everything is used, so it’s important that the nutrients from plant debris go back into the environment to be reused, such as through the soil or by consumption from animals. Put aside at least a corner of the garden to be a wild habitat space, so that local wildlife has a safe space to use for shelter and especially for use by hibernating species. And don’t worry about it being messy, life is what happens in the messy bits! Again, sharing your space with wildlife is not only essential, but enriches our own lives too 🍂🦔

• Cleaning – Looking for a quick task for a winter day? This time of year is a good period for getting everything ready for the busy months of the spring and summer. Giving bird feeders a good clean out and cleaning out old nest boxes in your garden to get them ready to be used again help stop the spread of any infections that can build up with use and make boxes more inviting for birds to use next year. Step-by-step instructions can be found here from The Wildlife Trusts. Doing these tasks now has a minimal impact on wildlife as it is outside the breeding season, but will help you keep the visitors to your garden healthy come next year! 🧽🐾

Resource: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/help-wildlife-cold

So there you have it! I hope you have all enjoyed this Blogmas series and have got something out of it. Christmas has become in recent years a time of waste and over-consumption, but it doesn’t have to be like that. We can make it a period of joy, of sharing, of reusing, of positive action, generosity and sustainability. We can care for our wildlife and help them thrive, give gifts that enhance the lives of our loved ones and embrace the things that really matter this season. We’ll be back in the New Year for another year of embracing all things sustainability, creating better lives and fighting for a better world. If you’ve enjoyed this series and would like to read more positive hints and tips for creating a more sustainable life, do consider subscribing to this blog so you never miss a post. I wish you all a peaceful, safe and happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year – let’s make 2025 our best yet! 💚