Lockdown saw many of us get back in touch with wildlife – from taking walks in parks as part of our daily exercise, to putting up bird feeders to try and attract a bit of life to our gardens.
But one man has taken his love of nature to a whole new level, as he’s built an impressive wildlife village in his back garden, complete with an infinity pool and a Christmas cabin for squirrels.
Paul Everitt, 38, spent a painstaking 18 months creating the incredible climbing frame village, which has 1.5m high platforms and is connected with a series of bridges.
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The man used scrap bits of wood to make a Christmas log cabin for the squirrels, as well as a landing pad for pigeons complete with a letter 'P' to land on.
The structure even has a tower, which Paul has dubbed “The Swingers Club”, which features an infinity pool made of Perspex, and a “Corn Tosser” feeding station that spins the squirrels around.
Paul, who is a self-professed “solo adventurer”, decided to build his animal haven during lockdown because he couldn’t go abroad.
He said: “Prior to Covid, I would travel a lot – I tended to do long journeys, kayaking in Alaska, Finland and Sweden, or cycling across continents.
“I lived in Canada for a bit, and I miss that wilderness as I’m used to bears and wolves coming up to me.
“With Covid hitting, I needed a project to take my mind off not being able to do that.
“It relaxes me as I don’t have a TV, so I just sit and watch the wildlife – it’s just a nice little hub."
The man, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, started the project after buying a three-bedroom bungalow in the town and began to clear its overgrown garden.
He added: “A house popped up in Grimsby, it was a bit of a steal, and I thought I’d work on that, with my background in plumbing and plastering.
“But I couldn’t help but notice there was an abundance of squirrels around in the back garden.
“The back garden was over run as it had been left to ruin and nature had taken it back.”
As well as the 10 squirrels that visit Paul’s garden daily, the man has also seen eight foxes and a badger, as well as numerous birds on his animal-friendly structure.
And the manual work required for the project has allowed Paul to express his creativity and keep his spirits high during lockdown.
He said: “I’m very hands on – I always built my own modes of transport – and I feel like it’s an important part of my life, building and creating.
“All the materials I built the squirrel sanctuary from are scraps."
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