Future Projects: The Urban Nature Project

Future Projects: The Urban Nature Project

The Natural History Museum is Redeveloping Five Acres of Gardens To Not Only To Improve It's Biodiversity But To Also Create An Urban Nature Movement

Project Detail:

Landscape Architects: J&L Gibbons | Architects: Feilden Fowles | Design Consultants: Gotta Gschwendtner | Engineers: HRW and Max Fordham

In the heart of London, The Natural History Museum is creating a biodiversity hub. Already, in just a small part of the five-acre gardens, examples of woodland, grassland, scrub, heath, fen, aquatic, reedbed, hedgerow and urban UK habitat can all be found. In fact, around 3,400 species have been recorded over the years, some for the first time. Throughout the redevelopment of

The Urban Nature Project opens the door for young people to fall in love with the nature on their doorsteps

these gardens for the Urban Nature Project, scientists will be working carefully to ensure this current biodiversity is protected and enhanced.

The new gardens will be fully accessible, allowing everyone to take a journey through the changing world and the diversity of life on Earth. The East Gardens will tell the story of the Earth’s history, with plants and fossils reflecting each geographical era giving visitors a chance to learn about the profound impact humans have caused in such a short time. At its center, a cast of Dippy—the Natural History Museum’s iconic diplodocus—will overlook the gardens.

The West Gardens will be a model for urban nature, showcasing the abundance of biodiversity which can be found in the UK’s habitats. This space will feature an outdoor learning center which will be a platform for the museum’s national program. Finally, the South Kensington gardens will host a living lab. Here, scientists, visitors and volunteers can study the changes in urban nature and witness an exemplar for sustainable urban nature.

“Working in close collaboration with Landscape Architects J & L Gibbons, we have enjoyed the challenge of bringing to life a walk through over 500 million years of the Earth’s history,” director of Feilden Fowles, Edmund Fowles tells us. “From the pre-Cambrian era to the present day, translating vital messages about human’s impact on nature and the role we all have to play in revitalizing urban biodiversity today.”

A huge part of the Urban Nature Project will be about continuing the scientific work the museum is already undertaking. The project aims to develop the scientific tools to monitor and protect urban nature, drive forward evidence-based nature conservation, pilot a range of innovative, cost effective technologies and continue to research and tackle some key challenges. With the natural world under threat like never before, this project is not only responding to the urgent need to both monitor and record changes to the UK’s urban nature but to a desperate need to reengage people with the natural world.

A powerful quote from Sir David Attenborough will be featured in bronze lettering, encapsulating the essence of this project: “The future of the natural world, on which we all depend, is in your hands.”

Sir David Attenborough has also commented on the project: “The Urban Nature Project opens the door for young people to fall in love with the nature on their doorsteps and develop a lifelong concern for the world’s wild places. Nature isn’t just nice to have, it’s the linchpin of our very existence and ventures like the Urban Nature Project help the next generation develop the strong connection with nature that is needed to protect it.” Focusing on engaging diverse audiences who are least likely or able to access nature, volunteer opportunities will be increased threefold via an outreach program to neighboring and diverse boroughs. There will also be online, onsite and national monitoring programs including an onsite education center, a range of citizen science programs and a scientific living lab where the museum’s existing scientific work will continue.

Pond Dipping

Learning and volunteer programs will provide opportunities for people to learn the skills to engage with and protect urban nature, tackle the UK skills shortage in understanding and identifying UK wildlife— in partnership with The Prince’s Trust—to create training for youth workers and programs for young people, and develop a new summer training program, one new traineeship and two new apprenticeships.

Garden Building

By helping people learn its value, the Natural History Museum hopes it can empower them to understand and protect the natural world. “We have suffered decades of decline in the abundance and distribution of many UK species, and in urban areas especially. By 2030, nine of out ten of us will live in urban areas, meaning nature is quite literally backed into a corner as concrete cities expand,” explains Clare Matterson, the Natural History Museum’s executive director of engagement. “We want to trigger a movement that will ultimately help reverse this decline.”

Dippy in the Easy Garden

Darwin Centre Courtyard Lodge