Experts are advising people to leave some piles of leaves in their gardens this autumn and winter, as they can provide a vital habitat for an endangered species
Everyone with a garden is being urged not to rake up leaves this autumn due to a potential threat to an endangered species in the UK.
For anyone fortunate enough to live somewhere leafy with plenty of trees, autumn brings a swirling carpet of leaves thickly blanketing lawns, patios, and decking and everything else.
However, experts now advise against clearing all leaves from outdoor spaces, recommending that some piles be left undisturbed.
Leaves are advantageous for gardens, as they break down and enrich the soil with vital nutrients, acting as a natural fertiliser to promote healthy lawns, crops, and flowers in the following year. Of course, an excess of leaves can be harmful if they completely smother a lawn, blocking sunlight.
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When collecting leaves, especially for burning in a fire pit or bonfire, hedgehogs are particularly at risk.
They often seek refuge in log piles and leaf piles. Hedgehogs are a beneficial creature to have around in a garden: they eat the much despised slugs and snails that destroy our gardens and help keep their populations under control.
But a combination of climate change, garden design changes and over-management of outdoor spaces – like clearing all the leaves – has increasingly left them with nowhere to shelter, reports the Express.
According to the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust: “Unfortunately, the native British mammals regularly fall foul of unchecked bonfires and are killed because of it. Considering their recent classification as vulnerable to extinction on the Mammal Societies Red List, the warning for bonfire night is now more crucial than ever.
Since 2007, numbers of wild hedgehogs in the UK have halved, and there are now thought to be fewer than a million left in the UK.”
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Green-fingered Brits are being encouraged to transform their gardens into wildlife sanctuaries for hedgehogs battling through the brutal winter period. The Trust particularly advises: “Leave wild areas in the garden, such as piles of leaves and logs. These make effective nests and attract the insects that hedgehogs need as part of their diet.”
“Cover any drains or holes, and ensure any ponds or swimming pools have an escape route. Avoid using fruit netting as hedgehogs can become entangled in it, they added.
The Trust also proposes attempting to purchase or construct a hedgehog shelter, positioned in a quiet corner and hidden beneath vegetation, compost, or twigs.