The Wildlife Friendly Garden Award Scheme

Create a wildlife-friendly garden and make a valuable contribution towards conserving Dorset's wildlife.

• Making our gardens wildlife-friendly can help to form a vital patchwork linking urban areas with the wider countryside.
• Garden acreage is at least five times that of all the nature reserves and national parks put together.
• Climate change is a real threat for Dorset's wildlife and having safe havens with food and water all year round could help some of our more vulnerable species survive.

Garden Ponds

Ponds in the countryside are under serious threat from:

• drainage and pollution
• organic and chemical fertiliser run-off
• pesticides and weed killers.

There are an estimated 2 million ponds in gardens nationwide and they are fast becoming the main haven for frogs, toads and newts. Not all gardens can have a large pond, but even a small permanent area of water can be very important for many animals.

How to join our Wildlife Friendly Gardens Scheme

Set a good example to your neighbours and join our Wildlife Friendly Garden Scheme earning yourself a plaque to display on your gate, front door or a post in your garden.

What all Wildlife Needs

The four requirements for all wildlife: 

• Food
• Water
• Shelter
• Places to breed

A good wildlife friendly garden will have as wide variety of these features as possible.

Criteria for classification and award of plaque

Send in photographic evidence to show that you have five or more of the following to include at least one from each column A, B and C and you will be eligible for a plaque.

• Keep records/photographs of the wildlife which visits your garden and send that in too.
• Wildlife On Your Doorstep (link)

Send photos and contact details for your plaque to:
Joy Wallis, People & Wildlife Co-ordinator, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Brooklands Farm, Forston, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 7AA
or email digital photos to:

• How to encourage wildlife into your garden
• For more information on wildlife gardening visit: www.wildaboutgardens.org
• For all your bird seed and bird box needs: www.vinehousefarm.co.uk

Create a garden pond

Wildlife Friendly Garden plaque