Can a nature corridor increase London's biodiversity?

A "nature corridor" is being created to run through some of London's most nature-deprived communities.

The 14-mile network will stretch from Lee Valley Regional Park south towards the Thames through the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Haringey and Newham.

The Wild Cities project in east London aims to reconnect isolated pockets of wildlife and pollinators so they can move through the city.

It comes after research has shown that green infrastructure can help to cool city streets, support food systems and restore biodiversity to neighbourhoods.

The project brings together a coalition of ecologists, community growers, transport authorities, cultural institutions, football clubs and residents who will work together on conservation efforts along the 14-mile stretch.

This means community gardens, rooftops, canal banks, sports fields and backyard streets could be part of building the interconnected hub of urban wildlife, according to the organisers, Initiative Earth.

The green group said the corridor follows the "stepping stone" connectivity model developed by Bugslife, which shows that habitat patches no more than 300m apart can restore ecosystems at a landscape scale.

Wanessa Rudmer, the charity's executive director, said: "We started Wild Cities because urban nature must be restored for people, for wildlife, and for the future.

"A coalition model lets us work at the scale the challenge demands, celebrating communities and helping people and ecosystems become more connected and resilient."

The project is supporting the delivery of the Mayor of London's local nature recovery strategy, which was published last month and identified green corridors and pollinator support as biodiversity priorities for the capital.

Research found London is 1C-1.5C hotter than the surrounding south-east region and nature networks could cool urban areas by up to 7C.

Paul Hetherington, from Buglife, said: "Wild Cities puts that evidence into practice in one of the country's most nature-deprived areas."

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