Biodiversity in the Borough

Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. - World Wildlife Federation

We are very proud to have a full Biodiversity Action Plan in place and work with a number of partners and stakeholders from across the borough to meet our targets.

Biodiversity helps us to live healthy and happy lives. It provides us with food, medicinal remedies and we also benefit from many ecosystem services. The latter includes everything from cleaning water and absorbing chemicals – which wetlands do – to providing oxygen for us to breathe. Biodiversity also provides aesthetic and cultural value to our lives and has been shown to increase mental wellbeing.

Since the 1970s the U.K. has lost almost half of its biodiversity - in the grand scheme of things that is a very short space of time to have lost so much. But (and it's a big one) - we can bring it back. It may seem like a small thing, but rewilding areas like verges, window boxes or small patches of unloved green space, can be a great boost to all sorts of wildlife.

Take the humble bumblebee...

numbers are declining rapidly and they can only fly for about 40 minutes between feeding...

your wild verge, with its nectar-rich plants and areas of shade from your grasses...

could be just the spot for a bumblebee pitstop.

You can also find out if you have a brilliant B-Line! This is a bug life corridor - this is a great way to know what kinds of insects are supported (and those who may need a helping hand) in your area. Have at look at our Helpful Guides section to find out more

We are lucky to have a number of community groups whose focus is supporting our natural world and to help it thrive. They are a great resource of local knowledge and to find a welcoming community with shared objectives and goals.

Everyday choices

Whilst the scale of biodiversity loss may seem overwhelming, it’s important that we recognise that multiple small and local actions add up. For example, we can support local conservation initiatives, travel as sustainably as we can, recycle and consider our everyday food choices.

Fundamentally, we need to take time to enjoy nature and spread the word; talk to our neighbours, friends and community about the biodiversity in the places we live.

Embrace the biodiversity on your doorstep

Biodiversity really is something spectacular and you don’t have to travel to the Amazon rainforest or the plains of Africa to see a wide range of species. Go to any natural area and you may be amazed at all the different types of invertebrates, birds and small mammals you can find.

Alternatively, plant a small tree, a windowsill allotment or let a large patch of grass grow in your garden and let the species come to you. You can even document what you find on a range of citizen science apps on your smartphone and help contribute to saving biodiversity that way.