Have you made any new year resolutions, and have you been able to stick to them? Northumberland Wildlife Trust are suggesting that now that the first half of January is already becoming a memory and well-meaning resolutions may have been broken, they have a new resolution that you can stick to.
Northumberland Wildlife Trust is urging members of the public to make one more resolution; to support their region’s wildlife throughout 2026.
How to support Northumbrian wildlife
There are a number of ways by which you can support our wonderful wildlife. You can do it through wildlife charity’s membership packages, online shops, owl and hedgehog adoption packages, even running in this year’s Great North Run.
And you don’t have to spend a fortune to support our regional wildlife. Northumberland Wildlife trust tells us that “there are many easy and affordable ways for people to look after wildlife in their own areas as wildlife conservation in gardens is becoming increasingly important as more species are becoming endangered”.
During the winter months, up until April, an outdoor space such as a backyard or a garden can be a safe haven for birds, insects and hedgehogs.
You can help wildlife pout by providing bowls of everyday items found in kitchen cupboards such as peanuts, suet, seeds, dried fruit and apples. These added to bowls of fresh water, will really help many small mammals and birds to survive the winter.
You could also set up nest boxes, ladybird lodges and birdfeeders as well as feeding hedgehogs and all this will attract wildlife and are great ways of getting children interested.
You can try to offer shelter by creating habitats in the sunniest, most sheltered spot and this is one of the best ways of helping wildlife. For example, “a stack of bricks and pots will provide a home for toads and newts, while sticks and logs are great for hedgehogs and insects”.
Wood with lots of little hidey-holes, left in a sunny place is particularly helpful for bees and it is also a valuable part of the ecosystem. If the wood is left, it could become home to centipedes, spiders, beetles, and fungi.
You could also try and leave your garden undisturbed through the winter months until spring arrives. Northumberland Wildlife Trust say that, “uncut grass is a perfect for frogs and mice, and leaves piled up are full of nutrients and great for hedgehogs, worms, mini-beasts, frogs and toads. Old flower stems in flowerbeds and pots provide much needed food”.
People are also urged to go easy with the clippers and not cut back hedges when they are producing berries, as they are a “valuable food source for birds and mammals when there is nothing else around for them to eat”.
Similarly, ivy is very helpful for butterflies and bees because it flowers in the autumn so becoming a valuable source of nectar before they go into hibernation. It also offers a safe hiding place for small mammals.
The trust add that, “even the corners of a dusty shed may have butterflies overwintering in them, or a wall may be harbouring bees or ladybirds”
The importance of gardens in protecting wildlife
Geoff Dobbins, Estates Manager at Northumberland Wildlife Trust says:
“Gardens are a vital source of shelter and food for wildlife, especially in winter months when many species need warm, dry spaces to bed down in.
“When you are out in your garden, please bear in mind how holding back on some projects until spring can really make a difference and, you never know, you may be rewarded with visits from some wonderful species.”
Based on a press release from Northumberland Wildlife Trust
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