Newbie needing advice

[Jane W]

Yes, very good points about the dry-ness of places as being so important , for overwintering, and also often nestbuilding.
Brilliant shed by the way Paul...and love the lizard photo...fantastic!
I have a friend who swears that every time she puts a bit of tarpaulin over something she finds a hedgehog underneath! Either nesting in summer or hibernating in winter. Maybe we don't want to cover our land in plastic....(although lots of us may have inherited plastic in the back of a shed or barn, so why not make use of it).....but any other thoughts in how we can keep areas dry?
I noticed a thatched roof made of bracken at a local garden (which was open to the public). I'm going to experiment with piles of bracken on top of my grass dumps to see if that will keep them dryer. It may not work, as I haven't time to lay them all straight like they'd done on the thatch.

I too have areas of quite boggy land, and do find that they are very wildflower rich....and nice for amphibians....but other things prefer higher, dryer ground for nesting or overwintering.

To Jacqui...I completely agree with previous comments that it looks like you're doing really well already with plant biodiversity....and I'm sure more and more will arrive in the wake of the rattle.
I did recently read that there are many more species dormant in most soils than are evident on the surface ( ie. growing), and so, to go back to the idea of blocking or mulching out one, or several, bits of grass and then observing what grows back in the bare ground, may be a way of seeing what is potentially in your 'seed bank'.