Community Nature Reserve

Register your space to help build the Community Nature Reserve

Share your tips and experiences to inspire others.

Connect with like-minded people.

Learn new ways to enhance your space.

Your space can be a garden, allotment or even just a window box – all are welcome.

We now have a Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/9018214418306558?locale=en_GB

Join the Facebook group to see news and updates, connect with other members and get more out of your community network.

How to register

Complete the online form or download and print the form (link below) and return it to us by email, post or in-person.

Visit us in Town Hall, High Street, Thornbury, Bristol, BS35 2AR (during office hours). Hard copies will also be available at the library and Thornbury Town Hall reception.

Not sure where to start on your wildlife-friendly gardening journey, or looking for some tips on a specific subject? Check out our wildlife-friendly gardening guide which you can view and download below.

The recent spell of very hot weather has been challenging for us humans and for our garden wildlife. Keeping the garden watered can be difficult and as water butts run dry, watering wisely is important. Established plants in your borders only need watering if they are showing signs of stress - drooping leaves, for example. Mulching borders with organic matter can help to improve moisture retention in the soil, reducing the need for watering.

If you have containers or baskets, these will likely need regular watering. Filling the containers with plants and grouping them together may reduce the watering requirement. Once again, mulching, perhaps with some horticultural grit, will reduce moisture loss.

The time of day you water your plants is also important. Early morning is the best time as evaporation will be minimised. It is also a lovely time to get outside into the garden, before the heat of the day has you beating a hasty retreat back inside!

Along with your plants, visitors to your garden will also appreciate access to a good supply of fresh water. A bird bath is a good idea, but even a shallow saucer can be an ideal place to put some fresh water for your garden visitors. Remember to place some pebbles, stones or sticks in the water so that insects and others can find their way back out if they take an inadvertent bath! Water should be ideally refreshed daily.

If you have a wildlife pond you may find it acting like a Serengeti watering hole at this time of year! You may need to top up your pond a little during dry spells. Ideally this should be done with harvested rainwater. If you do have to use tap water, try and leave it to stand for 24 hours before adding it to your pond.

Providing shady spots, such as a log pile, longer grasses, trees, shrubs or hedging can also help give refuge to overheated creatures. Hiding an upturned terracotta pot amongst your borders may give welcome relief from the glare of the sun to amphibians or insects.

You may notice that the birds are quieter this month. As they finish the hectic job of raising their chicks, they will start to moult and gain new feathers. This process can make them vulnerable to predators, so they will quieten down to avoid detection. It could also be that they are really tired after the responsibilities of the past few months!

If the weather allows, sitting in the shade in your wildlife-friendly garden, listening to the bees or perhaps counting the butterflies for the Big Butterfly Count (17 July – 19 August) is a worthy reward for your efforts to work with nature. Just remember the sunscreen!