At a time when the UK’s wildlife is under increasing pressure, the everyday spaces we manage—especially gardens—are becoming ever more important. Although interest in wildlife-friendly gardening has grown enormously in recent years, the evidence behind different approaches is not always clear. Well-meaning interventions can be highly effective, but some can miss the mark without a grounding in sound ecological knowledge.

That’s exactly why the Wildlife Gardening Virtual Symposium has become such a valuable annual event. It brings together researchers, practitioners, and anyone involved in managing green spaces to explore what the science is actually telling us about creating gardens that support biodiversity.

This year’s programme, chaired by Hafsah Hafeji of the Wildlife Gardening Forum, features four invited talks covering ponds, pollinators, fungi, and urban mammals, along with an update on emerging policies and projects shaping the wildlife-gardening landscape.

2026 Speaker Programme

• Fragments of Paradise: Garden Ponds as Wildlife Habitat
  Dr Mike Jeffries – Northumbria University
• Gardening for Pollinators: It’s About More Than Just Flowers!
  Prof Jeff Ollerton – University of Northampton & Kunming Institute of Botany
• How Fungi Make Gardens Flourish
  Dr Jassy Drakulic – Royal Horticultural Society
• Recording Wild Mammals in Urban Spaces: A Multidecadal Study
  David Wembridge – People’s Trust for Endangered Species

Whether you’re involved in ecology, horticulture, landscaping, consultancy, education, or simply interested in the future of wildlife in our gardens, the symposium offers a concise way to catch up on current evidence and emerging thinking.

Reserve your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wildlife-gardening-virtual-symposium-2026-tickets-1419239717199