Healthy Park Enhancements
In Autumn 2024, enhancements in St John's Garden included additional planting beds, a new tool shed, a community welcome board, bee hotels, bird boxes and a striking wildlife pond. With community involvement at its heart and nature restoration as a goal, the project aimed to create a restorative, green oasis where people could relax in nature, socialise with friends, and care for our small but vital public park.
The project was a truly collaborative process, with the Friends of St John's Garden working closely with Central District Alliance and Islington Parks Service to agree how best to deploy the Healthy Parks Framework developed by Camden and Islington councils in partnership with University College London.
With input from inclusion and wildlife organisations such as Make Space For Girls, The London Wildlife Trust, and Butterfly Conservation, the project was featured by the Eco City World Summit 2023 as a case study for how to improve health and biodiversity in small, inner city spaces. It’s certainly transformed the way we work in the Garden, enabling lots more volunteers to take part in gardening activities and bringing more opportunities to nurture and monitor wildlife in the Park.
