By Living with nature: five wildlife-friendly construction innovations
Making developments better suited to nature will be crucial if the UK government is to deliver on its 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution. These wildlife-friendly building measures could help
Making developments better suited to nature will be crucial if the UK government is to deliver on its 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution. These wildlife-friendly building measures could help
Swifts have made their homes in the crevices and crevices of our buildings for thousands of years. But the modern building style has helped put the population under pressure. The speedy nesting brick, developed by Manthorpe Building Products in conjunction with RSPB, is a bet to help the birds during the summer when they stay in the UK to raise their young. The bricks feature protected tunnel entrances and drainage holes and provide a safe area to allow swifts (clean and quiet house guests) to nest.
Image: Manthorpe Construction Products
At the Kingsbrook development in Aylesbury, the RSPB is working with Barratt Developments to set ‘a new benchmark for wildlife-friendly housing’. Wildflowers feature prominently in the plans, including swaths of wildflower grasslands to help form wildlife corridors and provide food for pollinators. The experts have also developed a ‘garden plant choice’ document for residents, recommending plants that are easy to grow and useful for wildlife: for example, campanula, echinacea and marjoram.
Image: Jonas Smith
Home builders now have to include ‘hedgehog roads’ in new development, following a petition organized by the British Hedgehog Conservation Society in 2019. It means that small holes have to be made in the bases of the fences, allowing for hedgehogs move freely between properties. The number of hedgehogs, which frequently tops polls as the UK’s favorite animal, has dropped dramatically in recent years. They can travel several kilometers a night in search of food, so space to roam is crucial.
Image: Piotr Laskawaski
Bee Bricks by Cornish B Corp Green Blue, can be used in place of standard bricks in construction, or individually in gardens and green spaces. They contain casting tubes, nesting sites for solitary bees such as bricklayer and leafcutter bees. “Bee Bricks are slowly appearing in more biodiversity planning guidance documents across the country,” says the company’s Faye Clifton. “We firmly believe that there is no sustainable development without considering biodiversity at the center of the design and decision-making process.”
Image: green and blue
Amphibians moving along our roads naturally follow the curb line as they travel. When do they hit a grate? Normally, they fall into the ravine below, where they usually starve to death. The wildlife curbs shown above, which have been developed by British company ACO Technologies, feature a ‘bypass pocket’ that amphibians can safely follow, avoiding the ravine. ACO also manufactures tunnel, barrier and fence systems to help protect amphibians and small mammals, as well as products to aid birds and bats.
Image: ACO
Lead Image: Alexas Photos
