Garden survey unearths great biodiversity in our borough

From hedgehogs in Putney to starlings flying across Battersea, our ‘On Your Street’ survey has revealed how private gardens are playing a vital role in supporting local wildlife. Residents submitted their sightings and garden features, helping us to understand the quality and connectivity of garden habitats.

These insights feed into the development of a new Biodiversity Action Plan, as part of Wandsworth’s Biodiversity Strategy. Boosting biodiversity not only supports local species and a balance in nature but also contributes to  our wider goals for a greener, more sustainable borough, helping to improve air quality and wellbeing, and ensuring wildlife can thrive.

The survey results have been brought to life through an interactive map. You can now explore where garden wildlife is flourishing and how your contributions are part of a larger borough-wide ecosystem:

Explore the interactive biodiversity map

Paul White, Cabinet Member for Environment, said:

“Wandsworth Council is taking real action to protect and improve biodiversity across the borough, in our parks, on our streets, and in partnership with local communities. We are working on a new Biodiversity Action Plan and this data gathered by residents is invaluable. I want to thank residents who took the time to take part in this survey, your input helps us do even more and I hope you will help us with our upcoming engagement survey as well.”

What can you find in your garden?

The results show that hedgehog sightings were most common in Putney, with residents highlighting features like native hedges and log piles. Meanwhile, stag beetles (a nationally important species) were spotted more widely across the borough, though less than half of people reported having the dead wood habitats that they depend on.

Nectar-rich plants, which support birds and invertebrates, were present in 81% of gardens surveyed, and 70% of participants said their gardens included features to help wildlife move between spaces, from tree lines to simple gaps in fences.

This community-led survey is part of our ongoing work in parks and open spaces as part of our Climate Change Action Plan, from tree planting and restoring nature corridors to creating dead wood habitats, to encourage biodiversity.

The survey was developed by Enable on behalf of the Council in partnership with Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL).

Get involved in supporting biodiversity in Wandsworth

If you didn’t have a chance to complete the ‘On Your Street’ survey last year, it’s not too late to get involved. The survey has reopened and closes at midnight on Sunday 15 June: complete the survey. 

Biodiversity Action Plan

Have your say on the new Biodiversity Action Plan which opens on Friday 20 June. We will announce more ways to get involved in Wandsworth’s Biodiversity Action Plan development through updates in our weekly email newsletter, Brightside Online, and on our social media channels.

Enter our new gardening competition, Wandsworth in Bloom

Proud of your garden, balcony or allotment? Entries for Wandsworth in Bloom 2025 are now open, we are inviting residents, schools, community groups and local businesses to show off the gardens and green spaces that make our borough more beautiful and biodiverse. 

Whether you’ve got a blooming balcony or you’re part of a thriving community allotment, there’s a category for every type of garden, including Best Front Garden, Best Street, Tallest Sunflower, and Most Vibrant London Borough of Culture Garden.

Enter now