When autumn comes and the temperatures reduce, it’s time to start thinking about how to help wildlife survive the winter!
For this reason, you could build a sort of elevated bed that will also serve as a hibernation site for wildlife. This facility is a home for wildlife, and at the same time, also provides fertile soil for your plants.
Here are the different steps to create one:
- Choose a dry area, possibly where the raised bed will have high grass or other surrounding vegetation
- Draw an area of 1mt x 2mt (or larger if you prefer), with the long side facing south
- Remove the turf from this area and put it aside, then dig a trench 20 cm deep
- Now fill the trench with large logs, without a precise order, forming approximately a pile up to 1 m high. This will create “chambers” below the frost level, where reptiles, amphibians, and other species can hibernate
- Cover the pile of logs with smaller branches and twigs
If you do not have the chance to dig a trench, just create a pile of logs or stones: it will be enough to host reptiles, mostly when they are active!
