Gardens could play a vital role in supporting wildlife in Hampshire.
Residents in and around the New Forest are being urged to make their gardens more wildlife-friendly this summer to help support some of the UK’s rarest species.
The New Forest Biodiversity Forum says that even small changes in garden management—such as adding a wildlife pond, leaving patches of grass uncut, planting pollinator-friendly flowers, or keeping deadwood piles—can provide essential food, water, and shelter for wildlife.
Professor Russell Wynn, chair of the New Forest Biodiversity Forum, said: "Wildlife does not recognise boundaries.
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"Gardens and green spaces in New Forest towns and villages can play an important role in supporting nature recovery in our region.
"Simple low-cost actions such as creating a pond, planting flowers for pollinators, or leaving part of a lawn unmown can create valuable habitat for species that are increasingly under pressure, while also contributing to the mental and physical wellbeing of garden owners."
The forum highlights the broader importance of gardens across the New Forest, noting their potential to support biodiversity well beyond the protected core of the forest.
Recommended wildlife-friendly features include native plants like lungwort, ox-eye daisy, and water mint, which provide crucial nectar for insects.
A small garden pond can support breeding frogs, newts, and dragonflies—offering a lifeline during dry spells when forest pools may vanish.
Areas of uncut grass are also valuable, supporting moths and other insects that serve as food for bats, birds, and amphibians.
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Prof Wynn said: "We know that rare nocturnal species such as nightjars and barbastelle bats regularly forage for insects over gardens, while declining species such as hedgehogs and stag beetles are actually more frequently encountered in suburban gardens and green spaces than on the open forest.
"Gardens containing mature trees and hedges can also help connect areas of woodland, and native species such as oak can provide food and shelter for many hundreds of species."
Co-founded and powered by long-term funding from Kairos Philanthropy, the Forum works to provide independent evidence on the state of biodiversity in the New Forest and the action needed to protect it.
