Portsmouth gardens could become part of a nationwide nature reserve

Gardens across Portsmouth could become part of a growing nationwide wildlife network as households are encouraged to give space to nature.

Residents across Portsmouth are being invited to join a nationwide Community Nature Reserve by setting aside a small part of their garden for wildlife.

The initiative encourages households to dedicate just three square yards of their outdoor space to nature, helping to create a network of wildlife friendly gardens stretching across the country.

The Community Nature Reserve was founded by Felixstowe conservationists Luke Smout and Dr Adrian Cooper in 2015, with the idea that people should not need large gardens, specialist knowledge or lots of money to make a difference to wildlife.

More than 30,000 gardens across the UK have now registered with the project.

The initiative has also received support from naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, who has written to the founders in support of their work.

Luke Smout, co founder of the Community Nature Reserve, said the project was designed to show how small changes could collectively make a significant difference.

“People often think that helping wildlife means owning a large garden or having lots of time and money, but that simply isn't the case,” he said.

“If everyone gave just a small amount of space to nature, those individual areas could become part of something much bigger.”

Residents in Portsmouth can take part in a number of simple ways, from allowing an area of grass to grow longer and planting wildflowers to providing food, water and shelter for birds and insects.

The project is not limited to people with large gardens.

Those living in flats and apartments can also take part by using balconies, patios, pots and window boxes to create small spaces where wildlife can feed and shelter.

The Community Nature Reserve began as a grassroots project in Felixstowe before expanding across the UK.

Rather than being a single physical nature reserve, it connects individual gardens and outdoor spaces to create a much larger network for wildlife.

Luke said the idea was to make conservation something that everyone could participate in.

“You don't have to be an expert gardener and you don't need acres of land,” he said.

“A small garden, a few pots or even a window box can provide something for wildlife.”

The project is now encouraging more Portsmouth households to register their outdoor spaces and become part of the growing network.

With more than 30,000 registered gardens already involved across the UK, the Community Nature Reserve is aiming to demonstrate how thousands of small spaces can collectively create a much larger resource for wildlife.