In October, 4th Corner were asked by Lioncourt Homes to install six hibernaculum on their site in Binley Woods, Coventry.
Hibernaculum are underground chambers that amphibians and reptiles use throughout the winter to protect themselves from the cold.
Frogs, toads, newts, lizards and snakes are regular visitors to gardens, especially those with log piles, sunny spots, ponds, bogs, and compost heaps. Creating hibernaculum in your own garden can provide a safe space for amphibians and reptiles to hibernate over winter, as well as a spot for solitary bees to soak up the sun and for birds to relax.
Hibernaculum can be created using very few materials: drainpipe cut-offs and cement pipes, rocks and bricks, logs and branches, and a spade!
To build a hibernacula in your own garden, simply:
- Dig a hole about 50cm deep and 1.5 metres wide in a sunny spot.
- Fill with logs, branches, bricks and rocks, leaving plenty of gaps in between.
- Insert entrance tubes (e.g. drainpipes) at ground level into the hole.
- Cover the pile with soil, to about 50cm high.
- Plant meadow seeds or long grasses over the mound to create a feast for summer pollinators.
4th Corner are providing all of the landscaping works on Binley Woods site, which consists of 70 plots.
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