Not everyone is lucky enough to have fresh running water on their land – this is our stream at our spiritual retreat near Pistyll.
I hope that you are all enjoying the warmth and sunshine of this wonderful summer weather but please remember to be careful with the amount of water you use while there is no rain on the horizon to replenish our stocks.
Also, have a care of the natural world – our wildlife finds the heat and dryness even more trying than we do. Yesterday teatime we rescued a poorly hedgehog by simply providing it with some water to drink and a little cat food.
After that, I went around the garden setting out several large flat dishes – the kind you can buy from garden centres to stand large plant pots in. As well as filling them with water, in some of these I also placed flat stones which jut up above the surface of the water but which slope down into it so that bees and other insects can land on them to drink without being in danger of falling in and drowning. Others I left clear so that birds can also bath as well as drink.
We have also placed another flat container up on our old flat-rooved greenhouse, more out of the way of prowling cats and specifically with bats in mind – every evening they come swooping and diving over the garden. Other years when we have had such glorious springs and summers, I remember hearing accounts from the National Trust of many disorientated and dehydrated bats being found at their various properties.
We always have three or four deeper containers of water dotted around the garden for dogs, cats and larger mammals. This last few years of dry warm springs and even hotter summers I have also placed a large bowl of water outside our front gate for any animals – domestic or wild – who are wandering the village, or even passing by on the end of a lead.
The stream has a stony, sandy bottom – but even here, it is deep set and many animals probably couldn’t negotiate the steep banks.
Lastly, if you do put water out for our wildlife, please remember to regularly clean each container and to replenish or replace the water every day; with so many hours of sunshine, a lot will have evaporated, so evenings are the best time to do this.
We have choices; our wildlife is not so fortunate. Take responsibility. Be kind to the world around us. Thank you.
