Foundation Projects
We have a number of projects ongoing now as you will see from the list below. You can access them by clicking on the heading.
The Wildlife Gardening and Animal Feeding Station Programme (WAFS)
The Wildlife Gardening and Animal Feeding Station Programme (WAFS) is a project that can be used in a number of different ways by almost all organizations and individuals, including householders. A fuller account of how to make and use a site can be seen in the published articles (Conserving Wildlife. no 11).
WAFS
- FES made WAFS a UNESCO ASPnet pilot project
- FES put WAFS into Nepal for the first time.
- WAFS needs a specially designated area set aside for wildlife
- Certain flowers can be planted with an aim to attract specific animals. One example is by planting Teazle to attract Goldfinches.
- WAFS can be used as a formal educational tool in the classroom
- WAFS can be used informally by schools as 'extra mural studies'
- WAFS can be used for educational play.
- Children can become champions, prefects, angels or guardians of animal feeding, ornithology, monitoring or making reports. Children can also express themselves with creative writing.
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| Highfield School Hillingdon | Kathmandu School |
The WAFS Prototype Project
The initial WAFS is a small piece of land at the back of the FES registered office which was changed from a family horticultural garden in the 1980s. The area is about 10 square metres and is typical of a small urban garden. FES published three easily understood articles that give an overview about how small areas can be adapted to become a wildlife garden. (Conserving Wildlife, edition 11)
."The Secrets of Millstream Fork" is a set of articles published in magazines which record many of the species which have been seen at the Foundation for Endangered Species' registered office over the last quarter of a century. Many of these will soon be appearing in an anthology by the Wildlife Zone. Some features of the prototype WAFS and its environ include:
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| The prototype WAFS at "Millstream Fork" |
- " An established moving water pond
- " Established flower beds and an alpine rockery
- " Climbing plants which covers walls and fences
- " Herbs and spices in pots and tubs surrounding the premises.
- " lawn Man made items put into the site to increase biodiversity include;-
- " Bird table
- " Animal feeding poles
- " Bird boxes
- " Bat boxes
- " Ladybird and Lacewing box
- " Frog and Toad house
- " Mini-beast habitats
- The nearby environment and immediate surrounding areas used to maximize biodiversity includes;-
- " The millstream which is part of the site
- " The river
- " Outbuildings
- " Rodeal land and nettle patch
- " Nearby thicket or spinney
Ideally a new WAFS should begin with an 'environmental audit', however informal it may be. This is because it will show what is there at the beginning of the project. As you make plans and create changes, differences of the flora and fauna can be monitored and then assessed.
It is always best to assess the garden's surroundings and environment in order to maximize biodiversity, including resident animals and visitors. By doing so, the site can be inexpensive to set up and develop. Moreover, the garden could become low-maintenance and largely ecologically sustainable. With care and attention, it could also be beautiful, although in truth, most wildlife gardens may seem untidy and unkempt.
There are some features of the Millstream Fork site which may well be unacceptable to schools wildlife areas because of health and safety issues for children. These include, allowing large wasp nests in situ, large ant colonies, deep water ponds, and stinging nettle patches.
Here is one example of how to categorize some garden animals found in a wildlife garden.
The tables can be adapted to reflect the following situations:-
a. Diurnal and nocturnal creatures
b. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter seasons
c. More specialist groups such as butterflies and moths.
It is worth remembering that rare animals can be very interesting and exciting, although they are not necessarily as beautiful as the ordinary or more common creatures that we usually see.
Some garden animals such as goldfish can be extremely beautiful, although they are a breed, and not a naturally occurring species. So decide on what you want in your wildlife garden before you commit and spend your money. Secondly, most fish species will eat other wildlife such as froglets, toadlets and newt fry.