Wildlife sanctuary to be created on Hampstead Heath pond island
Work has begun on a new Hampstead Heath wildlife sanctuary, with part of the Model Boating Pond being reshaped to protect nesting birds and strengthen biodiversity.
The City of London Corporation will remove the land causeway that currently connects an island in the pond to the shore. Once separated, the island will no longer be accessible to people or pets and will function as a protected habitat for wetland species.
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More than £50,000 has been raised through public donations to fund the project. The scheme will also introduce nearly 100 square metres of reedbeds, alongside wildflower planting, creating additional habitat for birds, amphibians and reptiles. Temporary fencing will remain in place while the new habitats establish.
The island itself was formed during flood management works in 2016. In the years since, it has become a nesting site for coots, moorhens, grebes and herons, despite continued public access.
Chair of the Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Committee, Alderman Gregory Jones KC, said the sanctuary would provide “a safe space to feed, rest and nest” free from disturbance. He added that the new reedbeds would also contribute to wider environmental aims by absorbing and storing carbon over time.
Hampstead Heath attracts more than 10 million visits annually and supports over 800 recorded species of flora and fauna. The site forms part of the City Corporation’s wider network of 11,000 acres of managed open space across London and the South East.
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