New wildlife garden for Swanwick Lakes

What was once a site of clay pits serving the local brickworks has been transformed over the past 30 years into the thriving Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve, thanks to a longstanding partnership between NATS and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT).

We’ve had several updates and renovations recently, but perhaps the most exciting and impactful has been the installation of a brand-new wildlife garden. It’s not only a beautiful space where people can immerse themselves in nature – it’s also fully accessible and wheelchair-friendly, meaning everyone can enjoy the local flora and fauna.

This project has been a real labour of love and a fantastic example of partnership working. Teams from the Wildlife Trust, NATS, Mitie, and local business Four Seasons Landscapes all came together to bring it to life.

I’m so excited to see the wildlife garden looking so well maintained and full of life. For years, we’ve wanted to create an inviting, accessible space that gives visitors achievable ideas of how to encourage wildlife into their own gardens. Now, thanks to all of the people and organisations involved, we can grow this beautiful garden to inspire our community to make their lives and outdoor spaces a little bit wilder.

The garden itself is a welcoming space for both people and wildlife. At its heart is a raised dipping pond, surrounded by features like a wormery, composting area, bee houses, a herb garden, and bug hotels.

Our hope is to encourage native wildlife back to the area, which this garden provides a perfect habitat for. We’re already seeing a lot of nesting activity from swifts and grey tits, and we’re optimistic that our rich biodiversity will continue to grow.

We’ve also made improvements around the reserve, including new paving and timber work around the pontoon and sunken dipping pond. New signage has been added too – all made from sustainably sourced timber and wood. Every detail has been carefully considered, from the upright positioning of signs to make them more accessible, to background colours that improve readability for visitors with visual impairments.

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at the nature reserve at Swanwick. This year, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of installing 20 solar panels on the study centre roof. In that time, they’ve generated enough energy to power four average-sized homes for a month. We’ve also installed EV charging points on-site, which have been really popular with visitors.

We’re hopeful for a boost in butterfly numbers this year, thanks to the warmer spring. We’ve already recorded an increase in toad and frog populations – a really encouraging sign that our habitats are thriving – and our resident greylag geese seem very happy making the lakes their home. From June, we’ll welcome cattle onto the site to help with conservation grazing, playing a key role in naturally managing the landscape.

Education is another area we’re incredibly proud of. Our centre continues to grow as a hub for outdoor learning through our Forest School and Wilder School programmes. These offer school children (and their teachers) immersive experiences in nature, encouraging respect and understanding of the environment and the habitats around us. The programmes also help raise children’s self-esteem, confidence, and social skills.

It’s certainly been a year of growth for us at the reserve, and I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved. None of it would be possible without the dedication of our reserve team and our amazing volunteers. Together, we’re making a real difference – for nature and for our community.