GB2488313A

GB2488313A - Wildlife habitat unit

Info

Publication number: GB2488313A
Application number: GB201102959A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jeffery Neville Carrington
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-02-21
Filing date: 2011-02-21
Publication date: 2012-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 2031-02-21
Also published as: GB2488313B; GB201102959D0

Abstract

A wildlife habitat unit 1 comprises a pre-formed pond arranged for free-standing on a solid base surface. The unit has a lower edge 2 adapted to stand on such a base surface and an upper edge 3, with a sloping wall surface 4 extending from the lower edge to the upper edge around at least part of the periphery of the upper edge. The sloping wall surface is textured and/or contoured to enable amphibians, reptiles and other creatures to climb up or down the sloping wall surface between the lower and upper edges. Within the boundary of the upper edge, the unit has at least one basin, and preferably at least two interconnected basins, adapted to provide at least two, and preferably three or four, different habitats selected from relatively deep water 8, relatively shallower water 9, a sloping surface (10, fig 2) between the deeper and shallower waters, and a bog 12. The sloping wall surface has at least one opening 18 therethrough adjacent to the lower edge to provide access for amphibians, reptiles and other creatures into the space beneath the unit to provide a refuge for them. The unit may be adapted to fit into a corner.

Description

WILDLIFE HABITAT UNIT

This disclosure relates to wildlife habitat units.

S Preformed ponds formed of plastics material are well known and widely employed to waterproof a hole dug in small and medium sized gardens to provide a pond. Such ponds are designed primarily to provide a body of open water with a depth usually significantly exceeding 30 cm so that the body of water does not overheat in summer or freeze solid in winter, and suitable for ornamental fish, such as goldfish and koi carp. The preformed pond may also incorporate a shallower shelf for potted marginal aquatic plants.

Although such pond environments are not necessarily ideal for such creatures, they may also attract the attention of such natural wildlife as may be present in the vicinity of the garden, which may include insects, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals. Some of these creatures are eaten by the more voracious fish which may also compete for available food resources. Ponds usually have steep internal sides to maximise the volume of open water for fish within a small area. Thus, mammals, in particular, are in danger of falling in and drowning, while reptiles and amphibians may also encounter difficulties in entering and exiting the pond. During the winter, reptiles and amphibians must find a suitable refuge away from the pond to hibernate.

Increasing urbanisation and destruction of suitable habitats has reduced the numbers of various creatures in the United Kingdom in recent years. The present disclosure has arisen from work seeking to combat these trends and to provide an attractive habitat for natural wildlife to find a home in gardens, patios or back-yards, however small.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a wildlife habitat unit comprising a pre-formed pond arranged for free-standing on a solid base surface, the unit having a lower edge adapted to stand on such a base surface and an upper edge, with a sloping wall surface extending from the lower edge to the upper edge around at least part of the periphery of the upper edge, the sloping wall surface being textured and/or contoured to enable amphibians, reptiles and other creatures to climb up or down the sloping wall surface between the lower and upper edges; within the boundary of the upper edge, the unit defining at least one basin, and preferably at least two interconnected basins, adapted to provide at least two, and preferably three or four, different habitats selected from relatively deep water, relatively shallower water, a sloping surface between the deeper and shallower waters, and a bog; and the sloping wall surface having at least one opening therethrough adjacent the lower edge to provide access for amphibians, reptiles and other creatures into space beneath the unit to provide a refuge for them.

Preferably, the unit has a first basin adapted to provide a region of relatively deep water connected by a sloping surface to a region of relatively shallow water suitable for basking and for birds to bathe, and a second basin separated from the first basin by a dividing wall in which a lip is defined to provide connection between the second basin and the first basin in its shallower portion, the second basin being adapted to be partly filled with a planting medium to provide a bog. The bog may be planted up with marsh or marginal plants to provide an attractive habitat for insects, reptiles and amphibians.

The sloping wall surface need not circumextend the unit. The unit may be adapted to fit in a corner between two generally vertical wall or fence sections that extend generally perpendicularly to each other. In this case, the sloping wall surface is provided only on sides of the unit not intended to confront the wall or fence sections, while sides of the unit that are adapted to confront the wall or fence sections may be continuous with the sloping wall surface but be formed to extend substantially vertical and be plain rather than textured or contoured, or may be replaced by legs providing support for the upper edge from a base surface on which the unit stands on the sides of the unit that are adapted to confront the wall or fence sections.

A preferred embodiment of wildlife habitat unit is described below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the unit; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the unit from a viewpoint opposite that of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the unit of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a front elevational view in the orientation of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view; Fig. 6 is a side elevational view as seen from the left in Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is a side elevational view as seen from the right in Fig. 3.

The embodiment of wildlife habitat unit 1 shown in the drawings may be formed from any of the materials and using any of the techniques conventionally employed to produce preformed fish ponds. Thus is may be moulded in one piece from any suitable plastics material, with or without additional fillers. Alternatively, it may be formed with a S preformed moulded inner unit connected to an outer skirt. A preferred material is recyclable high density polyethylene (HDPE). It may also be formed of fibreglass resin.

Preferably it will be coloured in green, grey, brown or a mixture of two or more of these colours so that it does not look out of place when placed upon a suitable base surface in a garden, patio or backyard.

The wildlife habitat unit 1 is a free-standing unit adapted to stand on base surfaces which may be chosen, for example, from the ground, either soil or grass, from hard standing such as paving, bricks, gravel or concrete, or from wooden decking. The unit 1 has a lower edge 2 intended to stand on such a base surface and an upper edge 3. The circumference of the lower edge 2 is significantly greater than that of the upper edge 3.

The illustrated unit is roughly four-sided in plan, with a sloping wall surface 4 extending from the lower edge 2 to the upper edge 3 around two sides of the unit. The remaining sides 5 and 6 extend substantially vertically and generally perpendicularly to each other.

The unit 1 is adapted to fit into a corner defined between two wall or fence sections, with the sides 5 and 6 confronting those wall or fence sections. While sides 5 and 6 are essentially plain, the sloping wall surface 4 is textured and/or contoured to make it easier for amphibians, lizards and other creatures to climb up or down the sloping wall surface 4 between the lower 2 and upper 3 edges.

At least one basin (here two) is defined within the boundary of the upper edge 3.

A first generally L-shaped basin 7 provides a main body 8 of relatively deep water, suitably around 20cm or more in depth, a shallower region 9, suitably of depth 5 to 10 cm, and a sloping region 10 interconnecting these regions. The base 11 of basin 7 in the main body region 8 is suitably adapted to stand on the base surface generally at the same level as the lower edge 2. The depth and volume of basin 7 in the main body region 8 is chosen so that water therein is unlikely to overheat in direct sunlight to the detriment of tadpoles, insect larvae, etc therein. In contrast, the shallower region 9 is adapted to allow basking behaviour for amphibians and to provide a safe region for birds to bathe. The sloping region 10 makes it easier for creatures to climb from the deeper to the shallower region, and may thus save a small mammal that inadvertently falls in from drowning. This feature may be further enhanced by proving the sloping surface of region 10 with a texture or with steps.

A second basin 12 is separated from the first basin 7 by a dividing wall 13 in which a lip 14 is defined to provide connection between the second basin and the first basin in its shallower portion. Second basin 12 may be partly filled with a suitable growing medium such as aquatic compost, which may be kept wet by the interconnection provide by lip 14, to provide a bog. The bog may be planted up with marsh and marginal plants to provide an attractive habitat for amphibians, birds and insects such as butterflies and bees. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a shallow ledge 15 is defined at the rear of basin 12. When the basin is partially filled with the growing medium and planted up with marsh plants, ledge 15 provides a hiding place for amphibians and other creatures behind the plants. A textured route 16 is defined along a ledge 17 running around the back of the main body 8 of water below upper edge 3, providing a means for escape for creatures surprised by a human or by a potential predator.

Although the plain vertical sides 5 and 6 are continuous with sloping wall surface 4 in this embodiment to provide a skirt extending about the whole unit, the sides 5 and 6, since they will not be seen in this embodiment when the unit is mounted in a corner of a garden or backyard formed between two wall or fence sections, may be replaced by one or more vertical legs supporting the upper edge from the base around the sides 5 and 6.

Most importantly, amphibians, in particular, need places of refuge that preferably remain shaded and damp, and neither too cold nor too hot, so that they may hibernate during the winter and hide from predators, human interference, and direct sunlight in the hottest part of the day, during other months. The illustrated embodiment of wildlife habitat unit 1 provides such refuge by means of a through opening 18 in sloping wall surface 4 adjacent lower edge 2, allowing access to the space defined within the skirt around the deeper portion of basin 7 and beneath basin 12 and shallower region 9.

Although here shown with a bottom lip 19 to through opening 18, this may be omitted.

It will be appreciated that the illustrated embodiment of wildlife habitat unit 1 is able to provide in a single self-contained free-standing unit, a wide variety of different and stimulating habitats attractive to amphibians and other creatures. Given that unit 1 may be placed on almost any suitable supporting surface out of doors, it is likely to attract local wildlife in almost any garden, or backyard.

S Wildlife habitat units in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure may have more than two basins providing further linked habitats. Though less preferred than the embodiment described and illustrated herein, a wildlife habitat unit may even be formed with just a single basin, provided that it still provides at least two different habitats selected from relatively deep water, relatively shallower water, a sloping surface between the deeper and shallower waters, and a bog.

There may be more than one through opening 18.

Claims

Claims 1. A wildlife habitat unit comprising a pre-formed pond alTanged for free-standing on a solid base surface, the unit having a lower edge adapted to stand on such a base S surface and an upper edge, with a sloping wall surface extending from the lower edge to the upper edge around at least part of the periphery of the upper edge, the sloping wall surface being textured and/or contoured to enable amphibians, reptiles and other creatures to climb up or down the sloping wall surface between the lower and upper edges; within the boundary of the upper edge, the unit defining at least one basin, and preferably at least two interconnected basins, adapted to provide at least two, and preferably three or four, different habitats selected from relatively deep water, relatively shallower water, a sloping surface between the deeper and shallower waters, and a bog; and the sloping wall surface having at least one opening therethrough adjacent the lower edge to provide access for amphibians, reptiles and other creatures into space beneath the unit to provide a refuge for them. c\J r

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2. A wildlife habitat unit according to Claim 1, wherein the unit has a first basin o adapted to provide a region of relatively deep water connected by a sloping surface to a region of relatively shallow water suitable for basking and for birds to bathe. r J20
3. A wildlife habitat unit according to Claim 2, wherein a second basin is separated from the first basin by a dividing wall in which a lip is defined to provide connection between the second basin and the first basin in its shallower portion.
4. A wildlife habitat unit according to Claim 3, wherein the second basin is adapted to be partly filled with a planting medium to provide a bog.
5. A wildlife habitat unit according to any proceeding Claim, wherein the unit is adapted to fit in a corner between two generally vertical wall or fence sections that extend generally perpendicularly to each other, and the sloping wall surface is provided only on sides of the unit not intended to confront the wall or fence sections.
6. A wildlife habitat unit according to Claim 5, wherein sides of the unit that are adapted to confront the wall or fence sections are continuous with the sloping wall surface and formed to extend substantially vertically, and are plain rather than textured or contoured.
7. A wildlife habitat unit according to Claim 5, wherein sides of the unit that are adapted to confront the wall or fence sections are replaced by legs providing support for the upper edge from a base surface on which the unit stands.
8. A wildlife habitat unit being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings. c\J r c\J r c\J