A little tardy on your pre-winter cleanup of your yard? The B.C. Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals approves and so will the wildlife seeking a bit of help to make it through the coldest part of the year.
"Believe it or not, creating a winter wildlife haven is as easy as letting your lawns and gardens get a little 'wild' themselves," said Meghann Cant, animal welfare educator for the BC SPCA.
Here are some further tips in that respect:
- To mow or not to mow: Long grass can shelter overwintering insects. Come spring, the insects will be protein-rich food for baby birds.
- Just a litter bit: Piles of leaf litter can provide a place for animals such as frogs to hibernate.
- The need for seed: Allowing plants to go to seed can feed hungry birds spending the winter here. Seed heads can also house overwintering insects.
- Let it bee: Old plant stems make great homes for a variety of overwintering insects, including bees. The dead stalks can also serve as construction materials for birds beginning to build their nests in the spring.
- Brush up: Brush piles can give dense cover to animals such as chipmunks, marmots and hares.
- Break the ice: Keeping a hole open in your pond can provide birds and mammals with a source of drinking water. Instead of breaking the ice, place a container of hot water on the surface to melt it through. Remember to remove any fallen leaves from your pond, too: decaying leaves can harm fish.
- Rock it: Rock piles, especially when positioned near water, can provide habitat for amphibians and reptiles.
For those areas of the province where winter has already settled in, Cant suggested looking ahead to the holidays.
"When you harvest holly to make festive indoor decorations, be sure to leave some berries for the birds - they love them," she said.
Cant also suggested donating your Christmas tree to your local wildlife rehabilitation centre. "The tree can serve as natural enrichment for the wild patients in their care," she said.
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