As our team was washing and re-painting the shelter at Medway Park, we discovered several creatures had used the shelter as a home. We discovered bees, birds, mice, and even a few lizards living in the shelter. It had us wondering about architecture and the environment. It’s clear what we make isn’t just used by humans, so what can we do to help the critters that live in gardens?
Now you may be thinking, “why don’t we just call an exterminator?” and initially, I had the same thought. However, these animals are crucial to having a good garden. Bees are the crucial foundation to plant life. They pollinate the plants of the garden. Mice also have an important role, they eat insects and weeds that pop up in gardens. Birds keep pesky insect populations in check so that plants can grow without being eaten. We can’t just get rid of them, nor should we.
So what do we do? One solution is to build other housing for our neighboring animals. Birdhouses are a great solution for gardens, They can promote diverse species of birds to live within the vicinity of the garden without disrupting human activities. Bee houses are another great way of promoting wild bees to live away from the shelter but still close to a garden. For mice, removing food sources within the shelter and covering up burrow spots encourage mice to find shelter outside the garden area, such as a forest.
We want our community gardens to thrive, they will with the help of our local wildlife!