North Camberwell Wildlife Corridor
Funding overview
- Organisation name: Friends of Burgess Park
- Project name: North Camberwell Wildlife Corridor
- Rewild London grant awarded: £34,771
- Total project cost: £48,129
- Area: Southwark
- Project aim: To create a corridor for wildlife along the streets between two Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
About the project
Southwark Nature Action Volunteers worked with Elmington Community Gardens and Benhill Road Nature Garden to deliver a new nature corridor across six small sites in the Elmington Estate to link Burgess Park to Benhill Road Nature Garden. The project aimed to increase flowering plants for pollinators, fruiting trees and shrubs for wildlife and people, and habitats for house sparrows.
When consulting with local residents, the team realised there were local concerns about pollen, bees and the height of planting, as well as a desire for it to be of ‘garden quality’. As a result the scheme was adjusted to make it more in keeping with a formal garden.
Impact on London's environment
Together the six small sites make a green corridor of stepping stones for wildlife, and make the area greener and more attractive for residents. The project has :
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Created more spaces for wildlife, with more interesting planting for residents
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Brought opportunities for people living on the Elmington Estate to experience nature in daily life and to help to plant or tend the gardens
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Depaved an area to reduce flooding and water pollution, while increasing biodiversity.
Key learnings
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Organisations planning similar projects in the future should take into account potential significant changes to project plans after community feedback sessions, and should allow for this in their funding bids.
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An interpretation board showing the planting areas would have been helpful to ensure ongoing understanding and buy-in from residents.
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Funders assessing similar projects should take into account that these types of projects are expensive for the total area of habitat that is delivered.
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