The British summer weather can be a mixed bag, and this year has certainly been variable!  Hot sunny days are an obvious cue for us to top up bird baths, check hanging baskets aren’t drying out, and to pop a saucer of drinking water out for insects and small mammals. It is easy to forget, however, that although overcast days may look dreary, conditions can still be powder dry creating challenging conditions for many species. Providing water will create an oasis for wildlife, whatever the weather!  

As well as providing fresh water to sustain garden visitors, remember no one likes drinking from a grubby mug. It is really important to keep bird baths and other features clean. An old brush is all you need – so give them a regular scrub to prevent the spread of disease. 

If you haven’t got one already, please consider including a pond in your garden or community green space. It doesn’t have to be big, a washing up bowl will soon attract pond skaters and even frogs in spring. Whether you decide to create a small or large pond, the design is up to you - just remember to include at least one shallow edge, so creatures can safely visit to drink or bathe. If you already have a steep sided pond, add an escape ramp or two, just in case anything accidentally falls in. Hedgehogs, for example, are pretty good swimmers, but will drown if they can’t easily find a route out. 

To make a pond feel safe for wildlife visitors, it’s a good idea to have plants around the edge – this creates a refuge for small mammals if they sense danger, and a great place for young frogs and newts to safely take their first steps on dry land. Plants which emerge from the pond (reeds and rushes for example) are important for dragonflies and damselflies, which spend most of their lives underwater. Once big enough, these aquatic larvae need to climb up and out of the pond before they can become flying adults. Emergent plants provide the perfect bridge between the watery world and the sky. Lots more tips about creating and maintaining ponds can be found on our wildlife-friendly gardening pages and the Wild About Gardens guide. 

Once you have a pond, use harvested rainwater to keep it topped up during hot weather. This is better for wildlife than tap water. Perhaps divert runoff from a nearby shed roof directly into your pond or consider popping a length of hose to the end of a water butt for easier replenishment. Even better, see if you have space for more water butts. If you haven’t got one yet, please see our webpage to see how it’s done. 

Harvesting rainwater really does help the environment and, if you are on a water meter, will also save you a bit of dosh. In Dorset, most of our drinking water comes from rivers and underground sources. To make it safe to drink, it is treated before it reaches our homes. During dry weather, these sources aren’t being replenished by rain. Consequently, every time we draw water from our taps we are removing water from the environment, potentially impacting dragonflies, fish, kingfishers, otters and other aquatic life. 

We can, however, reduce our impacts by thinking about how we use this precious resource. As well as installing water butts, we can use spent washing up water, or bath water, to revive wilting garden plants and keep flowers alive for pollinating insects. Remember to water early or late in the day when the chances of evaporation are less and target vulnerable plants like seedlings. Don’t worry so much about mature plants and shrubs, their deeper root systems make them more resilient. Spreading mulch over moist soil will also reduce evaporation. More tips on saving water can be found here. 

One final tip is to never bother watering your lawn – grass is incredibly resilient and soon recovers when rain returns. In fact, just raising the cutting height of your mower will help. Longer grass shades the soil surface creating a micro-climate which reduces evaporation. This will also make your lawn more welcoming for a myriad of creatures, from butterflies to slow worms. Find out how to create a wildlife-friendly lawn here.

So, providing water for wildlife in our gardens and green spaces can really be a lifesaver. Using water responsibly will also have wider benefits, protecting the wildlife we love to see in our streams and rivers. Please think of them the next time you turn on your tap.  

PS - you might already have a pond, save water and do lots of other great things for wildlife. If you do, please check out our wildlife-friendly spaces webpage – you might qualify for one of our awards! 

The work of the Wilder Communities team has been supported by South Western Railway's Customer Community Improvement Fund and The National Lottery Heritage Fund