London, United Kingdom

Restoration and habitat management can be used to create new patches in dense urban centers. Camley Street Natural Park is a unique hotspot of habitat and wildlife in the center of Kings Cross, London. Created from a former coal yard in 1984 after a strong community campaign to save the space from development, the site now hosts a variety of special resources including wetland habitat and floating reedbeds. In addition to being a popular destination for tourists, families, and school groups, the 2-acre park supports a diversity of wildlife and plant species including Daubenton’s bat, holly blue butterfly, reed bunting, and snake’s head fritillary. One of the first examples of a created nature preserve in the U.K, the London Wildlife Trust regularly manages and enhances habitat at the site.

Learn more about this project here and here.

Key Elements: Patch Size, Special Resources