“The Adventures of Sheriff Prickles 🦔”
We’re thrilled to share the inspiring efforts of our Purchasing Manager, Jasper Smathers, who has transformed his garden into a haven for local wildlife. He has built a selection of safe-houses and tunnels from extra building materials, and used a Diamond Core Drill to create a custom hedgehog highway through the brickwork.
“We are good at building boundaries to protect our homes and land but don’t spend enough time thinking about the impact this has on our rapidly diminishing local flora and fauna.” – James Park
Jaspers commitment to keeping hedgehogs (and friends) well-fed with “safe snacks” has earned admiration from us all. The star resident? None other than Mr Sheriff Prickles, a charming hedgehog who has made Jasper’s garden his home.
Here are a few simple ways to make your garden more wildlife-friendly:
- Build a Hedgehog Highway: Hedgehogs are struggling to survive due to habitat loss and barriers like fences and walls. By creating small gaps at the base of fences (around 13cm x 13cm), you can help them roam freely between gardens.
- Add Shelters and Tunnels: Hedgehogs, frogs, and other creatures love to hide in cozy, dark places. You can use timber, bricks, pipe and products like paving slabs to create tunnels and shelters where wildlife can hide from predators or rest during the day.
- Install Wildlife-Friendly Ponds: Adding a small pond can attract frogs and insects. Use landscaping materials, stone aggregates, and paving to safely build a pond with gradual slopes for climbing in and out.
- Create Wildflower Areas: Wildflowers are essential for pollinators like bees and butterflies. With topsoil, mulch, and decorative aggregates, you can build a wildflower patch that provides food and shelter.
- Build a Bug Hotel: A bug hotel is an easy, affordable, and a fantastic way to reuse old building products while supporting your local ecosystem by creating a safe haven for insects.
Support declining wild animal populations within our built environment:
- Bat Boxes: Three standard brick courses high and half a brick course in width, so is easy to build in to a wall during construction. Available to pre-order.
- Nest Boxes: Designed to provide a sheltered nesting refuge for small birds, specifically blue tits. Available to pre-order.
- Wildlife Gully Ladders: Helps amphibians, reptiles and other small creatures to escape from drainage gullies. Available to pre-order.
- Wildlife Kerbs: Designed to allow amphibians to bypass gully grating. Available to pre-order.
- Wildlife Refuge: The five ACO Wildlife Refuges have been designed to provide shelter and sanctuary for various types of small animal. Available to pre-order.
Start your own Sheriff Prickles adventure and turn your home and garden into a wildlife haven today.
For more inspiration and to explore our range of garden materials, visit our website or pop into one of our branches in Colchester, Ipswich, or Lawford. Let’s help local wildlife thrive, one garden at a time.
