Tunbridge Wells Community Nature Reserve

Even a little space can make a big difference!

The Tunbridge Wells Community Nature Reserve is a brilliant local initiative encouraging everyone—residents, schools, businesses, and community groups—to create small spaces for nature. Whether it’s a pond, a tree, a wildflower patch, or even a pot of pollinator-friendly plants, every contribution counts. These individual spaces, no matter how small, will collectively form one large, borough-wide nature reserve. It’s all about boosting biodiversity, supporting wildlife, and improving wellbeing while tackling climate change. It’s a simple, impactful way to make Tunbridge Wells greener—one garden at a time.

How do I take part?

Whether it is your garden, patio, balcony, school, workspace – create a space for nature and register it as part of the Tunbridge Wells Community Nature Reserve. Your space can be any size and ideally fits one or more of the following categories:

• Pond – ponds of all sizes will attract wildlife – you don’t have to dig a huge hole, even an old washing up bowl will do!
• New tree(s) – trees provide multiple nature and climate benefits – plant a tree or a few trees, or even a hedge, using native species that suit your space.
• Wildflower meadow – provide food and habitat for birds and insects – sow and grow a new wildflower area, or experiment by leaving a patch or your whole lawn to rewild itself!
• Pollinator patch – our pollinators really need your help – provide nectar and food for these beautiful beings by growing pollinator friendly plants in pots or beds.
• Wildlife home – create a little refuge for some of your non-human neighbours such as hedgehogs, birds and minibeasts.

Visit our “how to” guidance page for useful advice on creating your nature space. If you have a nature space that doesn’t fit one of these categories, don’t worry, you can still register it as part of the project.

We will be running community events and workshops to help people with making space for nature so keep an eye on the website or email cmp@khwp.org.uk to request to join the project mailing list.

 

Register your space:

To register your nature space as part of the TW Community Nature Reserve please complete the following form: https://forms.office.com/e/zUSD39bmsa

Remember to take photos or videos – we hope your spaces will inspire others to get involved too so we will be sharing these on our Facebook page (with your permission). And we will be keeping a record of the amount and types of space registered and providing regular progress updates on our website and Facebook page. We will not share any personal information and we will not be storing any personal information unless you have opted to be on the project mailing list.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions about the project by emailing cmp@khwp.org.uk

What else can I do to help?

• Help us the spread the word about the project (logo below) – tell your neighbours, colleagues, school teachers, and share it on social media.
• Follow the project on Facebook.
• Attend one of the project events (details to follow)
• Get involved with local nature projects – you can volunteer with us, your local park, or local nature or climate organisation such as Friends of the Earth.
• Donate plants, seeds, compost or pots so people that may not be able to afford it can create a nature space.
• Enter your space into the Tunbridge Wells In Bloom competition Best Wildlife Garden or Pond categories – Royal Tunbridge Wells in Bloom 2025 – Competition