YOUR OWN MINI ZOO! (How to create a garden attractive for small wildlife)

Let the soil develop: Do not dig your garden soil if you aren't planting. Undisturbed soil with some compost on top is a great habitat for earthworms and beetle larvae that attract foraging robins and blackbirds.

Create corridors: Connect all parts of your garden with plant cover to encourage invertebrates, young frogs and newts to move freely. Bare ground and manicured lawns act as a barrier for wildlife.

Feed the birds: Provide diverse food to attract a variety of birds, such as green finches. Install plastic domes to hold off grey squirrels. Make sure to keep the feeders inaccessible for cats. Remember: The number of visitors will grow over the years.

Your garden glade: Sow bluebells and foxgloves, as well as other woodland flowers, in succession under trees – this shelter is invaluable for invertebrates, frogs and slow worms. In late summer, mow and mulch with leaf mould.

Logs and sticks: Logs and stickpiles around garden edges or in the shade provide refuges for a host of wildlife. Some earth or ivy on top will keep them humid.

Love your lawn: The center of your lawn should be kept short as a foraging ground for badgers, foxes and birds. The edges stay longer to provide cover for invertebrates.

Maintain your hedges: Cut your hedges in winter so you don’t stunt their growth or disturb nesting birds. Hedges should comprise a mix of native shrub species, such as hawthorn, to provide food for invertebrates.

Build ponds: If your garden has enough space, create more than one pond for diversity. A shallow ornamental pond is great for tadpoles while a deeper, larger one attracts newts and dragonflies.

Keep it varied: Straight edges in your garden cause sudden changes in temperature and lighting. Avoid them. Irregular outlines create varying patches of sunshine throughout the day and stop the wind. That way you'll maintain a succession of territories for a diversity of insects and other critters.

With these tips and some work you can create a beautiful garden that will, in time, evolve to be a good habitat for various small animals. Why not write down what you see and keep records of the wildlife in your area? And if you want to be involved in monitoring larger animals in the wilderness, contact WSTF.