Hearing from local biodiversity champions
Last year’s biodiverse green space awards organised by, ActforEaling, Cultivating Ealing and Ealing Council were a highlight of 2024. This year the ambition is for even more local residents to enter their green spaces to win cash prizes and join the incredible biodiverse gardening community developing throughout the borough.
The award not only benefitting local biodiversity but everyone who entered and the communities around them. Let the winners from last year explain why bringing more wilderness into your green space is something to put on your “to-do” list for 2025……
What are the benefits of spending more time in nature?
Scientific research is showing time and time again that spending time in nature has a huge range of health and wellbeing benefits. This was something that all award winners highlighted as being a key reason they love their green spaces so much.
Mental wellbeing was the number one benefit highlighted, with one winner explaining, “As a species, we have evolved alongside nature and living things to have not only a curiosity about them, but also require nature around us to feel safe and well. We’ve only very recently become an urban species. Nature immersion is something we all need as it’s vital for emotional and physical well being. Tending to plants creates a rewarding space to check out and slow down.”
One of the winning school’s teachers highlighted that “Children perform better academically when they have regular access to outdoor environments. Our greenspace is our natural classroom, where children can learn about ecosystems, biodiversity and sustainability firsthand.”
Another key benefit is the break from often monotonous or solitary working days at a desk. One allotment winner explained that gardening “helps to promote social interactions, cooperation and general wellbeing”. One winner recommended Southfields Grid as a great community to learn about plant swaps and giveaways, gardening chats and support.
Why is biodiversity important in your green space?
This beautiful quote sums it up, “It’s important for us all to stay connected to nature, and slow down occasionally to notice the little things from insects to birds to the changing seasons as our plants grow and develop through the year.”
Many winners quoted the practical benefits of biodiversity, “When growing vegetables and flowers you begin to realise that nature is a balance, so to attract helpful pollinating insects into my garden I balance the growing with helpful plants that attract these insects.”
How did you benefit from joining Ealing’s biodiversity award?
The award ceremony in 2024 was a fabulous event that allowed so much knowledge to be shared and relationships to be created. One attendee mentioned “I especially enjoyed the ceremony where we got to learn about different approaches for different spaces in the borough.” In addition to the cash prizes, attending the award event was considered a real benefit!
Others highlighted that the competition encouraged them to experiment with a new way of gardening and learn more about the complexities of gardening for beauty and nature. One winner explained the benefits of learning this modern gardening approach, “Understanding the delicate balance between nature, plants, insects, soil can only enhance the world we live in.”
One of the schools winners commented, “It was a privilege to participate in the Cultivating Ealing competition, which has positively impacted our school community.”
Enter your green space
With so many benefits, it’s time to pick up some seeds and get planting for both you and the borough of Ealing…..
The deadline for entries to categories 1-3 of the Ealing Biodiversity Awards for Gardens and Green Spaces 2025 is 23:59 on 30 June 2025. The deadline for entries to the Schools category is 23:59 on 23 May and for the Allotments category 23:59 on 9 June.
Discover more by visiting the competition webpages.
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