Photo courtesy of Garden Organic
The title of our 65th anniversary research paper is at the
heart of our approach to halting biodiversity loss: every
garden matters. They mattered 65 years ago, when our founder
Lawrence Hills germinated the seed of the Henry Doubleday
Research Association – and they matter today.
Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth in all its forms and includes the
ecosystems in which it’s supported. Shorelines, peatlands and forests are
key ecosystems – but in the UK, we must not overlook the vast potential
of gardens, allotments and community growing spaces.
Green corridors begin at home. Backyards, alleyways, allotments,
balconies and vegetable beds bind together to form a vital link to the
wider world of nature, especially in urban settings. As rural habitats
fragment, gardens act as dispersal highways for wildlife to find food,
shelter and breeding grounds.
They offer safe passage through human barriers such as roads and
buildings. Farmland connects with hedgerows, hedgerows merge with
road verges, and street trees interlink with garden shrubs and ponds.
And these smallscapes are the connective tissue that protects species
diversity and richness.
Figures show global wildlife populations have plummeted by 69% on
average since 19701, with the main drivers being human use of land and
climate change. In the face of this international emergency, the problem
can feel insurmountable.
