Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and the Bee Friendly Trust have completed more than twenty ‘homes for nature’ at six Great Northern stations in and around north London and Hertfordshire: Bayford, Cuffley, Grange Park, Hadley Wood, New Barnet and New Southgate.

Great Northern aims to contribute to enhancing biodiversity on the railway by making its stations more nature friendly.

It hopes that its work will help to preserve wildlife, including the one in six species in the UK which are in danger of extinction.

At each site, it has installed two types of bird boxes, striped ‘bug hotels’ for solitary insects, and hibernacula, which are shelters filled with wood which give insects and small animals shelter during winter.

This project follows other nature-friendly work from GTR, including:

• creating a sensory garden at Welwyn Garden City station
• installing a ‘bug station’ at London Blackfriars
• making a ‘bee garden’ at Downham Market station in Norfolk

GTR has promised to create or enhance one hundred homes for nature across its network, which will include bug hotels and wild gardens.

“At GTR we’re committed to creating a railway for nature by enhancing biodiversity and encouraging nature recovery. Our Homes for Nature initiative is just one way we plan to support a thriving natural environment.

“Nature is in crisis in the UK with the latest State of Nature report detailing that since 1970 UK species have declined around 19% on average and nearly one in six species are now threatened with extinction.

“Our work with the Bee Friendly Trust aims to make our sites a little more friendly for local wildlife, big and small, and help to lessen that threat.”

GTR’s environment specialist, Eloise Rowan

“Our rail network gives wonderful opportunities to create homes for nature and provide a network not just for trains, but for wildlife of every kind – from deer to butterflies – to move safely around the country. Great Northern links habitats in the heart of the city to the depths of the countryside.”

Dr Luke Dixon, Director at the Bee Friendly Trust