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A permanent human-sized accessible underground
badger sett encouraging visitors to explore the daily life
of a badger
A human-sized badger sett in Kew’s woodland
conservation area offers an amazing insight into the life
of one of Britain’s most intriguing wild animals. Underground
tunnels, sleeping chambers, nests, food stores and scratching
posts reveal the intimate details of family life with the
badgers.
Kew’s badger sett is an underground series of tunnels in
the woods. Entrances are formed from forked oak branches which
lead underground to the tunnels and chambers. The chambers include
a nursing nest for young badgers, a sleeping room and a dining
area. The tunnels are just over a metre high - perfect for children
and for agile adults. One tunnel is 1.5m high and is wheelchair
accessible.
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| Human-sized badger sett |
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The sett is animated by signs of badger life
- hairs trapped in the wooden structure, bedding, claw marks
in the scratching post, snuffle holes and a playing tree.
The badgers’ menu is on display - spring meals include
roots, eggs and young birds, summer includes crunchy insects,
small animals and honey, autumn dinner features beechnuts
and elderberries and the winter diet has a large proportion
of roots and juicy worms.
The sett is the work of Mick Petts and Bryan
Spooner of Global Impacts. The company has worked with Kew
in several projects before, and works locally and internationally,
engaging people, groups and organisations in developing a
more sustainable future. Mike Petts is a designer and landscape
sculptor. His recent projects include Watervole City, one
of a series of interpretative landscape and sculptural features
at the Millennium Wetland in Llanelli and a viewing screen
for the Wildlfowl and Wetlands Trust in Barnes, London.
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