We've already had an intense experience of the heat and drought forecast for 2025. The national news reported that another “hotter-than-normal” summer was on its way. That means it’s an important time to consider how we can support wildlife with water on both a local and landscape-scale. 

Just as people in the UK are not used to sweltering temperatures, our native animals and plants are not adapted to cope with extreme heat or prolonged spells of dry weather. Taking a few small steps at home can save wild lives in the short term. 

Providing water for wildlife can be as simple as 1, 2, 3: 

1. Fill a shallow dish of water with some small stones to help birds, mammals and insects. Keep checking it daily and remember nocturnal animals will need it too.
2. Make a butterfly puddler - a dish filled with sand, compost or manure that’s kept moist with rocks as resting spots. This provides butterflies with somewhere to drink and absorb much-needed minerals and salts.
3. Keep ponds and bird baths topped up to provide shelter for amphibians and help birds to bathe and remove parasites to keep feathers in good condition. Ponds are happiest with rainwater but tap water, left in a bucket for 24 hours for chlorine to dissipate, can be used if necessary. 

Animals also need cover from the sun. Adding log piles, rockeries, planting shrubs and leaving grass to grow tall in places provides important shelter for many species, with the ground staying shady, cool and moist.

Providing water for wildlife also means protecting river habitats and waterways. The more water used by households and businesses, the lower water levels in streams and reservoirs fall; the slower rivers flow, the less oxygen there is in the water, and the warmer the water temperature. Fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides leach into waterways too, including flea treatments we use on our pets. At home, you can help by reducing the water you use and the chemical pollution you send out.

In the Great Fen, we’re playing our part on a larger scale with the development of a new huge wetland habitat! Diggers have moved on to the site at New Decoy to begin creating channels which will eventually fill with water and help turn 25 hectares of former arable fields into reedbeds, grassland and ponds. These places where water and dry land meet are home to a wide range of species, from dragonflies and damselflies, to wading curlew and snipe; from carnivorous plants to flitting butterflies. Thank you for your patience as parts of the walking trails are closed for a time. We can’t wait to show you around when it’s complete.