New moves afoot to encourage songbirds, bats and other wildlife in Scartho cemetery

 

Scartho cemetery - home to an abundance of wildlife

THE cemetery in Scartho has always been a haven for songbirds and other wildlife - and soon it could become even more nature-friendly.

Where space can be found, North East Lincolnshire Council has revealed plans to plant a range of native trees including field maple, silver birch, common hazel, hawthorn, wild cherry and pear.

Several birdnesting boxes will be put up while there will also be a hedgehog house and two hanging invertebrate boxes to provide over-wintering sites for lacewings, ladybirds, solitary wasps and species of bees which are essential in pollination and pest control roles within many ecosystems.

Nor have the bats been forgotten.

As compensation habitat resulting from proposed restoration of The Lodge, a bat loft will be provided within the turret in the building. 

Four north-orientated bat boxes, each at least 3ft above ground level,  will also be installed on tree trunks.

Specialist eco-consultancy Delta-Simons has stressed the importance of taking advice, particularlty regarding the bats, from Natural England.

It urges: "On-site monitoring of faunal and floral successes can be undertaken by the landscape management team and occupants of the building. 

"This could be through synchronised observations from teams of workers to record faunal species or a central record book kept of sightings within the local area. 

"Management can be adapted to suit the species present and to protect them."

A home for bats will provided in the turret