It’s Jenny here from Frome Wild Bunch. I hope this column finds you warm and snug as the cold weather descends. Can I suggest that a helpful action for wildlife this time of year, is to do nothing! Sit, watch and wait – take a break from gardening jobs and leave plants, gardens, nature to stand over winter. As we know, these plants can be important food and shelter for invertebrates and small mammals. Try to resist doing and leave areas undisturbed. Also, wet earth will become less compacted with less footfall too.
It’s time to put your feet up, have a brew and sit and watch. Tidiness in the garden not only takes a lot of effort, and can cost money, it is not necessarily helpful for wildlife. The more we step away from making our gardens neat, the more we are allowing nature to take its course. I suggest this is protecting the most valuable resources on the planet. Let’s appreciate nature in our wild spaces and become an observer. As we walk around and see pockets of mini meadows, grass and flowers left to flourish, we may begin to see, hear and connect with the wildlife that depends on this too.
I personally like the idea of being able to make a small change to help wildlife. When huge issues in the world seem so far beyond what I can do to influence change, any small part I can play to protecting wildlife and encouraging biodiversity helps. To play my small part helps me.
2023 in review
We have had a really interesting year in Frome Wild Bunch this year. We took part along with many excited folk in the community on several fruitful local bat counts, working with the guidance from Somerset Bat group. Our butterfly identifications in Rodden Meadow were fantastic and revealed so many local butterflies.We continued the bird box building in many neighbourhoods, with feedback about occupied boxes. We took part in pond dipping on the River Frome, there was a very well attended hedgehog awareness event, a composting afternoon with Loop Frome, and much more.
If you are interested in encouraging wildlife in your town, garden and parks, or just interested in a local group that works towards raising awareness of wildlife, come along and join us: we are a very friendly group open to everyone. We meet every month on a Thursday 1.30-3pm with option to link in on Zoom, in the Town Hall or elsewhere.
Contact Jo Morris at www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk
