WILD THINGS - CONSERVATION, REWILDING & SUPPORTING NATURE PROJECTS IN THE UK
WILD THINGS
CONSERVATION, REWILDING & NATURE PROJECTS IN THE UK
At English Country Gardens, conservation and preservation are at the heart of everything we do. We believe that gardens, no matter their size, can play a vital role in supporting biodiversity across the British countryside.
Wild Things is our dedicated space for conservation projects, rewilding initiatives, and nature-led gardening efforts that are actively working to restore and protect local ecosystems. By highlighting these projects, we aim to provide education, awareness, and inspiration to gardeners, communities, and wildlife enthusiasts across the UK.
Projects such as Gardeners Wild demonstrate how small, considered actions, repeated across communities, can form something far greater: connected habitats, thriving wildlife corridors, and healthier ecosystems. This collective momentum is already becoming a powerful movement, redefining how we interact with the natural world around us.
GARDENERS WILD
English Country Gardens is proud to support Gardeners Wild, a grassroots conservation initiative founded by local horticulturalist and conservationist, Andy Pearson, who lives in Milborne Port, a village a few miles from Sherborne, just across the Dorset border in Somerset.
Andy is exceptionally passionate about how small changes that each of us can make, collectively combine to make a huge difference to the biodiversity that surrounds us all. His focus is on practical, achievable action that empowers individuals to play a meaningful role in conservation from their own gardens.
Andy has a particular interest in species most at risk but already present in your local area — includingcertain species of solitary bees, butterflies and hedgehogs, all of which are in serious decline. By identifying what is under threat on our doorsteps, his work focuses on the specific food plants and habitats that can offer targeted support to the species in greatest need.
In Andy’s words:
“I’m offering a free advisory service (locally) for anyone who wants to increase biodiversity in their gardens and by making a record of their plants and the species they have seen we can create a map (by postcode) of areas where we can make a difference and ultimately create a wildlife corridor for everyone to enjoy and benefit.
Small changes that will make a huge difference.”
Through this work, Gardeners Wild brings together local observation, shared data and collective effort, helping to connect individual gardens into wider, living networks that support wildlife beyond garden boundaries.
English Country Gardens’ founder, Simon, feels incredibly passionate about initiatives like Andy’s. When he learned of Gardeners Wild’s ambitious and selfless intention — to give back not just to our communities, but to the nature that surrounds them — he was delighted to offer collaboration.
Together, we share a belief that through education, awareness and inspiration, we can encourage more people to take part in the growing revolution to live with nature, rather than against it.
A GROWING REVOLUTION- JOIN US
Wild Things exists to support the people and projects leading this change.
If you are running a wildlife-friendly gardening project, a local conservation effort, or a rewilding initiative, we invite you to put your project forward for collaboration. By sharing your work, we can give visibility to meaningful projects, inspire others to take action, and continue building a growing revolution in biodiversity and sustainable gardening in the UK.
Get involved: submit your project via our contact form or explore our educational resources to learn how you can make a difference in your own garden.