Urban Wildlife

Wildlife Urban Habitat Creation

Creating wildlife habitat in urban environments provides welfare benefits for urban wildlife while connecting people with nature.

Key Facts

Urban gardens collectively cover more area than all UK nature reserves
Wildlife-friendly gardens provide food, shelter, and nesting for diverse species
Green roofs and walls extend habitat vertically in dense urban areas
Connected urban habitats enable wildlife movement between larger habitat patches

Welfare Considerations

Urban wildlife in cities without adequate habitat faces food insecurity, inability to find mates across fragmented green spaces, and increased conflict with humans. Wildlife-friendly gardens providing native plants, undisturbed soil, water features, and nest boxes directly improve welfare for numerous species including birds, bees, hedgehogs, and amphibians. Connected urban habitat networks enable population viability.

What You Can Do

Create wildlife habitat features in your garden including pond, log piles, and native plants
Reduce lawn area and increase native planting diversity
Connect your garden to neighboring wildlife areas through hedgehog highways
Advocate for wildlife habitat requirements in new development planning