Swings + Roundabouts Summer 2020

to really care and take note of any new life finding a new home. These are easily constructed from canes, twigs, cones, bricks and timber. Encourage birdlife into your garden by providing plenty of food such as kowhai, harakeke, hebe for nectar. If you don’t have much space container gardens can work well for many small trees and shrubs. Piwakawaka, Silvereye and Grey Warbler like to eat bugs and spiders. A good layer of mulch or leaf litter on the garden will encourage insects. Native Ruru (Morepork) and Kōtare (Kingfisher) eat insects as well as mice. Lizards live a long time. So once you’ve created a space they like, they’ll probably move in for good. Encourage native geckos and skinks to take up residence by providing lots of places to hide, from rocks or rotten logs. They especially love a north facing stone wall, as well as vines and creepers that let them climb and stay hidden. Earthworms aerate the soil, process organic matter, and make nutrients bioavailable to plants. To make a cosy home for worms, leave leaf litter to gather on top of the soil, or add a little mulch to the surface. Water evenly to keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged. Worm farms are great too, they offer the opportunity for tamariki to learn about composting, how to create healthy soils for our plants and vegetables and a place to observe worms in action. Don’t be too tidy and avoid bare ground. Bare soil leaves ground dwelling bugs exposed and they are less likely to move around looking for food. Some beetles and other ground dwellers are good predators and will help you in the garden. So relax and enjoy the imperfections. And finally, remember to help our creatures keep as safe as possible by creating nesting sites, high points and hiding places. Use traps (outside of the children play area) to control predators like rats and possums. Specialised business insurance for over 1500 childcare centres Get your insurance sorted 0800 765 429 childproof.co.nz December 2020 { 33 }