Wildlife Trust: Does Bonfire Night harm wildlife? Three ways to make at-home Guy Fawkes displays safer

• Guy Fawkes Day falls later this week, with celebrations likely to run into the weekend
• There are ways you can make your at-home celebration safer for wildlife, experts say
• Taking a few simple precautions whilst building bonfires can save animals like hedgehogs or dormice
• Choosing where to set off your fireworks with care can also help protect sleeping birds

The UK’s skies will be a brilliant blaze of sparkling lights and thunderous bangs this week - but it won’t be all fun and games for everyone.

This Wednesday (November 5) is Guy Fawkes Day. Across the country, families and communities will be celebrating with fireworks and bonfires (leading to the occasion’s other name, Bonfire Night) throughout the week, both at public displays, and in back gardens.

But as any pet owner will know, though fun for us, they can be terrifying for our animals. The same goes for their wild cousins, which is why we’ve checked in on nature charity The Wildlife Trusts - and experts at its Essex branch - have to say on how you can make your at-home display that little bit safer and kinder for them.

Here are a few of their top tips:

1. Hedgehog-friendly bonfires

Woodpiles form the base of any good bonfire. But for many of the small creatures we share our gardens with, they also seem like the perfect spot to take shelter in as the weather starts to cool.

Darren Tansley, a protected species manager at the Essex Wildlife Trust, says that hedgehogs and dormice have been killed while sleeping in woodpiles created for bonfires. “So it is best to re-stack your fire on the day and to check for any animals… Everyone wants to enjoy bonfire night and keeping both ourselves and our wildlife safe is possible if we just take a few precautions.”

Essentially, waiting to build until the day you plan to light it can stop means animals don’t have the chance to move in. You could also try putting up chicken wire around the base.

If you do find a hedgehog or another sleeping critter, the Wildlife Trust says you should gently pick them up and move them with some gardening gloves, along with some of the nesting material it was sitting in. Place it in a cardboard box lined with newspaper, and then move it somewhere safe – preferably releasing them under a bush or near a log pile.

When you do go to actually start your bonfire, try lighting it from one corner too. This will give any wildlife who have found their way in somewhere to flee. Ensure it is completely out once you’re finished too.

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2. Be kind to birds when setting off fireworks

The bright lights and loud bangs of fireworks may be thrilling for us, but can also be very alarming for nearby creatures trying to get a good night’s sleep. The Wildlife Trust recommends setting any fireworks off well away from trees and hedgerows, so that any birds roosting inside aren’t disturbed.

There are also quieter, low-noise fireworks available to buy. To prevent disturbing wildlife, consider these options when buying fireworks for at-home displays this year.

3. Remember to tidy up

It should go without saying, but the Trust adds that you should remember to pick up your litter after the festivities – from firework remnants, to food and drink packaging. This can help prevent animals from getting trapped in it, or from plastic and other pollutants making their way into the wider ecosystem.

Choosing environmentally-friendly fireworks can also help you minimise the overall impact your display has. According to BBC Science Focus, this can include those made with clean burning nitrogen-based fuels rather than other, more smoky variants.

There are also biodegradable wooden sparklers and other fun alternatives available. Play It Green has created a list of some of its favourite fireworks retailers from a sustainability perspective, which you can find online here.

Have you got your own animals that you’re worried about ahead of the big night? Here are three tips from a pet expert on keeping your dog calm during fireworks.