At LiveWest, we are Creating Greener Futures Together. We are working with our customers and partners to ensure sustainability lies at the heart of our organisation, shaping healthier futures across our communities.
Every month, we share some of our favourite green advice, to help our customers and colleagues live more sustainably. This month we are sharing advice on how you can protect wildlife whilst celebrating Bonfire Night.
Bonfire Night can be great fun, with firework displays and bonfires to enjoy. However, it is important to think about the wildlife in our communities when we celebrate. We have put together some tips to help you protect hedgehogs and other wildlife this Bonfire Night.
Bonfires
Lots of animals hibernate in November, and a large pile of sticks, wood, and garden waste often seems like the perfect spot for them to sleep through the winter.
The best way to protect wildlife on Bonfire Night is to not have a bonfire at all. There may be a public bonfire event in your community that you can go to instead of having your own.
You can still make a log pile in your garden, but instead of setting it on fire, leave it for bugs, lizards, and other small animals to shelter in. It is important to keep your garden tidy though – check what your garden responsibilities are on our Gardening page.
If you do choose to have a bonfire, there are steps you can take to reduce the chances of harming wildlife.
You should also take care not to harm yourself or your family. View our Bonfire Night safety guide for more information.
Build your bonfire on the day
Many people pile up their garden waste over the weeks leading up to Bonfire Night, then set it on fire on the day. This is terrible news for hedgehogs and other animals who have chosen to shelter inside. By building your bonfire just before you burn it, you will know there are no animals sheltering inside.
Take apart your bonfire before you light it
If you have been building your bonfire over the days or weeks leading up to Bonfire Night, you should take it apart and rebuild it just before you light it, to make sure there is no wildlife inside.
If you do find wildlife inside, carefully move it to a quiet, sheltered spot in your garden, such as a pile of twigs or your compost bin.
Build your bonfire away from trees
Bonfires can easily spread to overhanging trees, harming the tree and any wildlife sheltering in it, like birds. Once a fire has spread to a tree, it could then spread to your neighbour's garden or even to your home. Read our Staying safe on Bonfire Night article for safety advice.
Clear the ground of leaves before building your bonfire
You should build your bonfire on clear ground, moving any leaves or other material that could be providing a shelter for wildlife. By raking these leaves away and placing them in your compost bin, or in a quiet corner of your garden, you can allow any sheltering animals, like caterpillars, to continue hibernating.
Light your bonfire from one side
By lighting your bonfire from one side, instead of the centre, you give hibernating animals the chance to escape. You should still build your bonfire on the day though, to avoid putting sheltering animals through the stress of waking up to find their home is on fire.
Keep water nearby
Keep a bucket, or if possible a hose, nearby so you can quickly put out the fire in an emergency.
Fireworks
If you have pets, you may already know that fireworks can be very scary for animals. Like our pets, wild animals are also scared by the noise of fireworks. Fireworks can cause birds to abandon their nests and horses to run away and injure themselves. They also cause a lot of air pollution and plastic pollution.
To enjoy fireworks whilst protecting wildlife, you could:
Enjoy a public firework display
Instead of setting off your own fireworks, you could go to a public firework display or enjoy other people’s fireworks from your window or garden. By reducing the number of people setting off fireworks, you will be reducing the amount of wildlife disturbed by the noise and reducing the plastic and air pollution which fireworks create.
Avoid setting fireworks off near wildlife
It is illegal to disturb certain animals, such as barn owls, so you should avoid using fireworks if you know that wildlife is nearby.
Keep water nearby
Keep a bucket or, if possible, a hose nearby, so you can quickly put out fires in an emergency.
