The Wilder Gardening group (originally the Gardening for Wildlife group) was formed to provide support for those already enjoying wildlife gardening as well as to encourage others. Wilder Gardening Champions are volunteers who will happily visit to give advice and guidance on how to create, develop or improve your wildlife garden. We also give talks to gardening and other related groups on any topics associated with wildlife gardening. We have been involved in helping schools develop their grounds to increase biodiversity and maximise the learning potential for the children. We organise a newsletter and occasional events for all our group members.

With an estimated 124,500 gardens in Somerset, covering 19 square kilometres of the county, these spaces have huge potential for nature. If we all gave a little bit more space for wildlife within our gardens, just image how much habitat we would create overall for nature. Gardens can also help us buffer the impacts of surface flooding, pollution run off, create cooler climates around our homes and are fantastic for our health and well being!

We're on a mission to help everyone in Somerset who looks after a garden to give more space to wildlife, here you'll find tips and downloads and ways to connect with others.

You can find some great ideas and resources for larger garden projects like digging a wildlife pond, creating a mini meadow or planting a tree here!

Find some ideas for small garden projects to improve your outdoor space and welcome nature into your garden. Why not feed the birds, plant flowers to attract pollinators or cut a hedgehog hole in your fence?

Somerset has some of the most spectacular and internationally-recognised habitats and wildlife in the country. We have beautiful and rare creatures like the Large Blue butterfly and the Eurasian bittern, important populations of Greater horseshoe bats and other incredible species such as Great white egrets, Red deer, Round-leaved sundew and magical murmurating Starlings.

From digging a wildlife pond to planting a bee-friendly window box, there’s always something that you can do to help the wildlife on your doorstep.