Websailor's Wacky Wildlife World
Created | Updated May 7, 2008
A quirky look at wildlife. To be taken with a pinch of
salt, but with more than a grain of truth!
Diet for the Birds and Recycle For Wildlife
*Whoosh*... *Hangs on to hat!* What on earth was that? Oh, I know. It was a collective sigh of relief that the season of greed, indulgence, excess and family togetherness is finally over for another year! Not for everyone a happy, relaxed family occasion — in fact, quite the opposite, and a truly sad time for some. However, for many it is a beautiful time, especially if you have children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren, even! It is an even better time of year to help and observe wildlife, much of which is in dire need of our support. Here at McWebbie's Wildlife Diner we do our best.
It is also a time when more food is wasted and more rubbish accumulated than at any other time of year. So what can we do about it? We could continue to stick our bags and bins out and think no more about it. But should we? Landfill sites are running out and incineration still isn't the best option, but it all has to go somewhere, so here are a few suggestions:
Many of us will be planning to go on a diet, so make yours help to feed the birds. The cheese, chips, biscuits, cake, potato, rice, cooked pasta, bread, bacon fat and used cooking fats — not to mention fruit past its best — can all benefit the birds and make you feel terribly virtuous as you eat less. I have 'shared' my Christmas with the birds and wildlife and I haven't put a pound on. Saved on bird food costs too! Be brave: take it off your plate before you sit down to eat. Eventually you will serve yourself smaller portions automatically. After all, can you face those soulful-looking blackbirds and robins sitting on the fence in the morning unless you have something to offer?
Oh, and if you are in the habit of preparing your own vegetables and digging your own garden, don't forget to compost the remains. My heap is a seething mass of mini wildlife creatures who all have an important job to do.
Recycle your Christmas cards with organisations like the Woodland Trust and help them keep our woodlands safe. Make parcel tags for next year. Homemade cards are much in fashion now, so why not incorporate a little recycling too? There are heaps of ideas on Google. Your real Christmas tree can be recycled by your local council, unless, of course, it has a root, in which case plant it if you can find a suitable space.
Recycle all your paper: 75% of all newspapers are made from recycled paper. Help make it 100%.
Recycle aluminium and steel drink cans. All have many uses once recycled — save future archaeologists from agonising over their newly found artefacts — some of the drink names would give them food for thought! Aluminium take-away dishes and foil will raise money for your favourite charity if you have the time and space to do it and some charities will take the material directly.
Recycle your wine, beer, soft drink and spirit bottles. Again, don't let future archaeologists decide that our 21st-century civilisation died from excessive eating and drinking! All the chutney, mincemeat, cranberry, mustard, honey and jam jars can be recycled too, unless you can find a jam maker who needs them. The local WI ladies might be interested.
Save rubber bands and pick them up in the street — as far back as 1993 Royal Mail was spending £906,000 a year on rubber bands, most of them ending up on our pavements. No wonder our stamps are going up! I haven't dared ask what they spend now! Birds mistake them for worms and can choke. The same goes for balloons (cows have died ingesting them) and the plastic bands that hold drink cans together can throttle small animals. Cut them up before disposing of them.
Many charities are grateful for used postage stamps. Remove them and recycle the envelopes. WWF, RSPB and many other wildlife and animal charities raise significant funds from old postage stamps.
Recycle plastic soft drink bottles if your local council makes provision. If they don't, ask why not. Your nice warm winter fleeces contain some of the resulting fibre, making them waterproof. One-litre bottles can also be made into makeshift bird feeders with the help of a little screw on perch and a hanging bracket, available from some wildlife and home delivery catalogues.
Collect litter — yes, I know it's not your job, but birds and animals die through contact with our rubbish. You wouldn't want that on your conscience, would you? After all, you would carry a poop scoop to clean up after your dog, so a bit more isn't too much to ask, is it? Hedgehogs get their heads stuck in yoghurt cartons and tins after investigating the nice-smelling, nice-tasting gunge at the bottom, but then they can't get out. Snails and slugs, too, like the sweet goo but get trapped.
Some water filter companies will recycle your used filters. The plastic is recycled and the carbon cleaned for industrial use and the filters must now be a significant part of the waste build-up.
The mailing film that wraps your magazines can be recycled in to dustbin bags and other plastic items. Google about polyprint and mailing film for more info. Many seabirds die from ingesting plastic bags and other plastic debris, thinking that they are jellyfish. They feel full, but die of starvation. Many also die by getting tangled in fishing lines, nets and other debris swept off beaches or dropped from boats.
To find a new home for unwanted gifts or other items no longer needed, take a look at the Freecycle website. There is sure to be a group in your area and you might find something useful for yourself for free — I did, and you can't ask for more than that, can you?
It is no surprise that the numbers of seagulls, pigeons, rats and squirrels have soared when so much easy food is left around for them to eat. We clearly don't need it, or why would we throw it away? There are many, many other things used in our daily lives and totally taken for granted which can be recycled, but I hope we can all make a start with the ideas above. It really is a matter of habit. Much like eating or drinking too much, once the habit is established it is hard to break. Perhaps we should apply that to recycling, too. I hope the birds and wildlife, be they badgers, foxes, hedgehogs, squirrels, rabbits or deer, have a wonderful and safe new year with your help.
Websailor's Wacky Wildlife World Archive
