UK Wildlife

Urban Wildlife Corridors and Garden Ecology

Urban gardens collectively form significant wildlife habitat, with connected corridors through cities supporting hedgehogs, foxes, amphibians, bats and many bird species when managed with wildlife in mind.

Key Facts

UK private gardens cover over 400,000 hectares - more than all national nature reserves combined
Connected gardens form corridors for wildlife movement through urban landscapes
Hedgehog highways, wildlife ponds, and native planting are most impactful garden actions
Urban heat island effect benefits some species while disadvantaging others
BTO Garden BirdWatch monitors over 3 million gardens across the UK

Welfare Considerations

Urban gardens provide genuinely important wildlife welfare benefits when managed appropriately. The aggregate impact of millions of wildlife-friendly gardens is significant. Simple interventions including reducing lawn mowing frequency, planting natives, and removing garden barriers can be transformative.

What You Can Do

Register your garden with BTO Garden BirdWatch to contribute to monitoring
Make a wildlife pond, hedgehog highway, and native planting in your garden
Encourage neighbours to join in creating connected wildlife-friendly gardens