Across the UK our wildlife is suffering declines – and in Yorkshire, we are in danger of losing well-loved favourites like swifts, which have declined by 50% in the last 30 years. The real possibility that we could be the last generation to see a hedgehog in the wild is unthinkable - and with our gardens making up nearly 30% of the total urban area of Yorkshire, that’s a lot of potential to make a difference for wildlife in our own gardens.

Since launching two years ago the Trust’s Wildlife Gardening Award has inspired hundreds of people, with gardens of all shapes and sizes entered - and over 500 gardeners have been rewarded for their incredible efforts to create havens for wildlife. The award now offers three categories – bronze, silver, and gold – with an increasing number of wildlife-friendly actions to take in each category.

Previous entries have ranged from small urban ‘yard-ens’, to schools, community spaces, snickets, allotments, health centres, and even a prison - all these wild spaces play a vital role in creating stepping stones and corridors for wildlife through urban areas, linking towns and villages with green spaces and countryside.

The Trust are launching the award alongside a brand-new online wildlife gardening hub; packed with inspiring information and toolkits to support gardeners to make their outdoor spaces more wildlife-friendly, and advice on everything from creating wildflower meadows to building dead wood habitat for bugs, wildlife gardening events, case studies and blogs. 

Jo Rawson, Community Engagement Manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, says,

“We know that many people across Yorkshire are deeply proud of their gardens, from havens of containers tucked into a yard and bustling with pollinators to school ponds, homemade bee houses and great sweeping borders of flowers – and that all of us get excited whenever we spot a bee, bird or butterfly visiting!

“With three different tiers of award to go for, our Wildlife Gardening Award is suitable for everyone – whether you’re a complete gardening beginner faced with a bare and empty yard, or you think your garden could compete with RHS Harlow Carr! There are plenty of tips, hints and tricks to help you make the best of your garden, including advice on which plants to buy and where, and changes you can make on a budget.

“Here at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, we want to inspire a wave of wildlife-friendly action across the county – and to see greener and wilder urban spaces for all to enjoy.”

Across Yorkshire, many communities have joined forces to make their local spaces better for them – and for their local wildlife. Eco Friendly Garforth have created an amazing community garden on land owned by their local pub, bringing their community together to create a fabulous blend of plants grown for food and native plant species for wildlife with raised beds, a herb spiral, a pond, bug homes and a hibernaculum. They planted fruit trees, native wildflowers, and created a lovely communal space for families to enjoy connecting with nature.

Similarly, Kippax Wildlife Corridor have created a network of planting and wildlife habitat that connects private gardens with a shared outdoor space, allotment and footpath – this has supplied hedgehogs with cover and food for bees, butterflies, and birds.

“We’ve seen a massive increase in insects”, said Victoria from Kippax Wildlife Corridor, “including more bumblebees than ever before, and the bird population has really boomed. The sound of bird song in the wildlife corridor is magical, that’s the thing most people pick up on - the beautiful sound of birds!”

The Trust has also invited garden award winners to open their doors and take part in a wildlife-friendly open gardens event from Saturday 3rd May to Sunday 11th May. 20 of our Wildlife Gardening Award winners across the county will open their outdoor spaces to the public for a limited time only, in order to inspire their neighbours and friends with realistic, local examples of what a little work in their back gardens can achieve.

Moira at Eco Friendly Garforth said; “We all enjoy meeting visitors to the garden and showing them around. We like to hear stories from where they come from too. It’ a chance to share common interests and this space we enjoy.”

GROW Scarborough are also looking forward to opening to the public. Already this year, they have planted dog rose, hawthorn, blackthorn, and rowan to increase habitat and food sources for wildlife and added a dead hedge to create more shelter for small mammals, birds, butterflies and bugs.

Darren from GROW Scarborough said, “All of us at GROW Scarborough are thrilled to be going for gold this year! With the support of CaVCA, our volunteers have transformed The Street Community Garden into a thriving space for both people and wildlife. We can’t wait to welcome visitors and share what our hard work has achieved!”

To find out more about applying for the Wildlife Gardening Award, visiting a Wildlife-Friendly Open Garden near you, and for inspiring resources to make your garden wilder, go to www.ywt.org.uk/wildlife-gardening.