Urban green spaces such as roadside verges, parks, cemeteries and smaller grassland areas play an important role in supporting biodiversity within built-up environments.

Even small patches of long grass or wildflowers can provide valuable habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, helping to connect larger green spaces across the district.

Cemeteries, in particular, can act as important quiet refuges for nature, often containing a mix of mature trees, grassland, hedgerows and flowering plants that support a wide range of species.

As part of our Biodiversity Action Plan, we are trialling and expanding more wildlife-friendly management approaches across urban grassland sites, including reduced mowing, wildflower establishment and habitat creation in cemeteries, verges and public open spaces.

Work so far

• Wildflower Verge Trial – A trial of reduced mowing and wildflower seeding across selected roadside verges in Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Warwick.
• Cemetery biodiversity enhancements - Hedgerow planting, wildflower seeding, planting around wetland areas, creation of habitat piles, installation of hedgehog homes and bee hotels, and other habitat improvements across Leamington, Kenilworth and Milverton cemeteries. At Leamington Cemetery, we also supported the temporary installation of cameras to help monitor local hedgehog populations as part of the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme.

Find out about the other work we're doing:

• Wetlands, ponds and scrapes
• Meadows and grasslands
• Tree and hedgerow planting 
• Hedgerow management and restoration