Wildlife areas around hospitals

Pat Hartridge

This idea was born during two grey weeks in November 1984 in the isolation unit of the Churchill Hospital Oxford, awaiting diagnosis of Legionnaires' Disease. My stay was enlivened by a robin who perched on a wall outside my window. A string of nuts would probably have produced a bluetit or two, and a birdtable would have been better than TV. My home convalescence was enlivened by recording wildlife from my window.

'To encourage birds, bees and butterflies to come closer to the wards, to be seen by the patients'

So this plan for wildlife areas around hospitals is to encourage birds, bees and butterflies to come closer to the wards, to be seen by the patients; and by using birdbaths, feeding stations, nestboxes and plants specially chosen to be attractive to them:

- To encourage those patients who are keen to record sightings of various species for their own interest and to add to their local nature conservancy records;
- To help create an interest outside the daily routine of the ward, and encourage visitors to bring gifts of birdseed rather than flowers when visiting.

For the long-term disabled, there would be visiting speakers on wildlife topics to increase knowledge and to add enjoyment to observation, with, perhaps, the help of volunteers from nearby schools to help with the maintenance of the sites once established.

After putting this idea to the Institute for Social Inventions, I was encouraged to enter it in their annual competition (Ed: i won the Ecology prize in 1986). In order to do this, I had to show that the scheme was viable and I therefore approached local hospitals for their reaction. The Churchill Hospital was particularly enthusiastic and with the active help of the Assistant Nursing Officer, Mrs Petursson, the areas to be planted were planned.

My original idea - for two or three gardens to be planted and maintained by volunteers from the hospital and local schools - was defeated by its own success. The site proved so rich in likely sites that a more organised workforce was obviously needed and I got the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Naturalists' Trust to act as agents for me through their MSC Community Programme. This programme ended in 1988, and the scheme has since depended on myself and one or two volunteers.

The Royal Society for Nature Conservation have since put together a research report and project pack on how to get such hospital wildlife gardens off the ground (we convinced them that it was with great difficulty!). There are now a large number of Hospital Wildlife Gardens in progress or under consideration in the UK.

Pat Hartridge, 49 Old Road, Wheatley, Oxford, OX9 1NX (tel 08677 4487). The research report (L3) and project pack (L2) are available from The Royal Society for Nature Conservation, the Green, Witham Park, Waterside South, Lincoln, LN5 7JR (tel 0522 544400).

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