During lockdown we were contacted by Sharon Warren who wanted to share the story of her father, Keith Gardner, who has over many years created a safe haven for wildlife in his garden, creating a mini 'nature reserve' in the centre of a bustling town.   

It’s sometimes hard to believe how much wildlife can be spotted in urban areas, but gardens, allotments and parks in our towns often have an abundance of wildlife as one garden in Ipswich demonstrates.   

Having grown up on a small holding in Newbourne, Keith has always been surrounded with wildlife and a fascination and connection to nature was initiated very early on. This love of wildlife has continued throughout his life and the wildlife that continues to visit his garden has bought him much delight especially throughout the past months in lockdown. 

Sharon describes her father’s garden, which is bustling with garden bird species due to the creation of different handmade nest boxes suitable for a variety of species, as a haven for bird life. A tree is adorned with many bird feeders which heaves with gold finches, greenfinches, chaffinches, woodpecker, starlings, doves, pigeons, gold crests, blue tits, great tits, coal tits, long tail tits, blackbirds, robins, wrens and so many others.  

Although starling numbers are declining across the UK, Sharon tells us that it sometimes a little hard to believe when looking out on a 50-strong flock foraging in her father’s garden, a sight that must be wonderful to see. Whilst Keith finds it a little more difficult to keep quite so many bird feeders topped up these days, he concentrates on a few less but ensures that there’s still plenty of food for the feathered friends in his garden.  

Having created lots of different habitat types such as ponds, wildflower patches, trees and shrubby areas with hedgerows surrounding the perimeter of the garden, much wildlife has benefited. Several different butterfly species and bees enjoy the wildflowers. The handmade nest boxes, originally intended for birds, have become home to tree bumblebees. Several species of dragonfly enjoy the pond too.  

As well as a whole host of invertebrate species larger representatives from the wildlife world come calling too and muntjac deer, foxes, hedgehogs and badgers and are often spotted on the camera trap that is placed in prime position to capture all the wild activity in the garden.  

It is thought that we share our towns across the UK with 150,000 foxes out of a population of 350,00 with urban foxes being more commonly seen due to being a little tamer as they are more accustomed to human activity. It certainly seems that one individual has made itself quite at home in Keith’s garden. We have heard of many people recently noticing foxes in their back gardens and local green spaces, perhaps a result of us all being at home and having a little more time to notice the wildlife around us a little more recently. That has certainly been a silver lining for many of late.  

It’s also fantastic to see that a declining species is thriving in the safe haven that Keith has created with hedgehogs visiting. Foraging on invertebrate species such as slugs, snails, beetles, caterpillars and worms, hedgehogs have a naturally varied diet and supplementary feeding can help hedgehogs bulk up and put on enough weight across the summer ready for hibernation come the winter. Ipswich is a hotspot for hedgehogs in the UK with a strong population and Suffolk Wildlife Trust is collecting data on population numbers to keep track on how they’re doing. If you spot a hedgehog, log your hog here on our website.  

As well as creating a garden that we’re sure could compete with some green spaces far larger in size and stature for the variety of wildlife that visits, Keith has passed down his love for nature to his children and grandchildren also. Sharon tells us how her own love for wildlife is a direct result from watching her father be so immersed in nature and has encouraged a whole variety of wildlife into her own garden and describes 10 blue tits in the bird bath whilst talking to us. Something that has bought Sharon a lot of happiness recently is watching her grandchildren, Keith’s great-grandchildren, take part in wildlife activities over the past months such as wildlife trails in their own gardens and says “seeing pictures of the wildlife activities was a proud moment because it’s something being passed down the generations… thank you, Dad, for that”.  

Together, the UK’s gardens are larger than all of our National Nature Reserves combined making them so important for our wildlife. This is wonderfully demonstrated by Keith’s garden, which even in an urban area, provides a home for many different species of wildlife.  

For ideas and advice on how to make your garden wild, see our advice pages below. 

Are you a Suffolk wild champion? Get in touch, we’d love to share your story!

Plant wildflowers for pollinators 

Create a wildlife pond 

Build a hibernaculum