Dr Stephen Head is the Founder Patron of the Wildlife Gardening Forum, who has spent his career as a leading ecologist lecturing at Oxford, as CEO of two conservation NGOs, broadcasting on TV and Radio and travelling widely, amongst other things. He has a particular interest in gardening and helping people at every level to understand the importance of garden wildlife both for its biodiversity importance and its value for people. He is an excellent speaker and gives thoroughly interesting, exciting and practical talks on the science that shows the critical role gardens can play in supporting biodiversity and practical steps that gardeners can take to create beautiful gardens that also work for wildlife.
A chance encounter with HGS resident, Chair of Sarah Raven and amateur gardener, Dominic Rose, led to Steve and Dominic working together to develop a proposed project called Britain's Biggest Living Garden, which aims to make Hampstead Garden Suburb a national flagship of how biodiversity can be encouraged and nurtured in an urban environment through the participation of the wider community, and building on the founding legacy and ambition of Henrietta Barnet. The project has support of many local bodies including the Residents Association, St Judes, Hort Soc & Friends of Big Wood amongst others and is hoping to develop a community wildlife community garden within the grounds of St Judes in Central Square with biodiversity there and across the wider Suburb being regularly measured by Dr Head.
Dominic will introduce Dr Head, who will also touch on why he sees the Suburb as such an exciting opportunity and together they will take questions on biodiversity as well as the specific local ambition and how to get involved.