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🦌 Wildlife watering points
Setting up simple, safe watering points for wildlife, especially during a dry summer when natural water sources dry up.
When should you do this?
Most important in summer during dry spells, but useful year-round
What will you need?
- A shallow dish or saucer
- Stones or twigs (an escape ramp for insects)
- Water
- A shaded spot protected from cats
How to get started?
- Choose a shallow dish (max 3-5 cm deep) so smaller animals can drink safely.
- Add a few stones or twigs so insects that fall in can climb back out.
- Place the waterer in a shaded, quiet spot, sheltered from predators.
- Fill it with fresh water, and change it every 2-3 days to prevent mosquito larvae.
- In winter, check daily so it doesn't freeze over completely.
- For larger wildlife (e.g. hedgehogs), also set out a ground-level dish under some shrubs.
Useful tips
- Don't add anything to the water.
- Without regular cleaning, a waterer can become a source of disease too.
Ready? Start a wildlife watering points project, or join one already running near you.