I opened my garden to the public for a wildlife garden experience on a Saturday afternoon at the beginning of September. The sun made all the difference! Children were encouraged to come and get involved in pond-dipping, moth-trapping, looking down a microscope at tiny creatures in soil and water-butt water and collecting seeds. It was also the peak flowering time of my national collection of Eupatorium, so adults were able to come and view all the butterflies and bees that love this group of flowers.We had a local Wildlife Trust staff member showing people how to use an Austrian scythe in my meadow (see blog about churchyards). We served cakes and tea and sold our own plants and made £136 for the North Wales Wildlife Trust. But the main point of the day was to get more people interested in conserving wildlife in their gardens. Were we just preaching to the converted though? I have decided to start a new Wildlife Watch group to get kids and their parents coming to do one activity for an hour or two once a month. I will advertise it in the local newspaper and schools – maybe we can attract some people who had not
thought of the pleasure and importance of wildlife in the garden before.
Opening the Moth Trap
Using an Austrian Scythe