Join Space for Nature
Ready to sign up?
Join Space for Nature by completing this form (this will open another browser window) - and we will get in touch with your:
- Free advice and support on protecting biodiversity in your backyard
- Free workshops
- A free native plant
- A Rat trapping tunnel
- A letterbox sign to share the message and encourage neighbours to sign up.
What is Space for Nature?
Space for Nature is an initiative to celebrate and support urban residents, education providers, community organisations and businesses who are protecting biodiversity in their backyards, and to encourage others to do the same.
This project is facilitated by Envirohub Bay of Plenty, and supports our aspirations for a National Park Region, a movement towards a greener, wilder, healthier and more resilient Waiariki Park Region.
Even if you have a small garden or limited space, there is still plenty you can do to give wildlife a safe place to live.
In exchange for a pledge to provide safe habitat for wildlife in their gardens, participants receive a sign for their gate or letterbox, which acknowledges their commitment and hopefully inspires others in the neighbourhood to get on board. We can provide advice and resources; and connect you with initiatives in your area.
Member Resource Book (pdf)
Check out our little video with an introduction to Space for Nature.
Why make Space for Nature?
Private gardens and school grounds make up a large area of many towns and cities and have potential to be green spaces that support natural biodiversity of plants and animals. How supportive a garden is for biodiversity depends on a range of factors including types and coverage of vegetation, what you do in your garden, and features of the wider neighbourhood. Every square metre of nature and every tree provides ecosystem functions - including non native or edible species which might provide food, nectar for us, birds and important pollinating insects.
There is a lot that individuals can do in their own backyards to contribute which can be easy and low cost. Some of the benefits of being involved include:
- Contributing to increased tree canopy coverage in urban areas, which results in more habitat for wildlife, cooler temperatures and beautiful green spaces;
- Increased birdlife, lizards and insects;
- Increase in pollinators for food growing;
- Encouragement to observe and connect with nature to improve your wellbeing
- Reduced predators resulting in an increase in wildlife;
- Opportunity to connect with and support restoration activities happening in your neighbourhood;
- Join a network of kaitiaki (caretakers) taking action to care for their surrounding environment.
Let's do this! 
What are some of the things I can do to make Space for Nature on my property?
We are focussing on encouraging you to implement actions in the following three areas:
Provide suitable habitat
The key to providing habitat for wildlife is making sure there are plenty of places for them to hide - with food and water sources available nearby. You'll be surprised to find that once you build it - they will come! Remember also that the wildlife may not live in your garden full time, but will appreciate your garden as a safe stepping stone between the places where they live and feed.
Try some of the following ideas to help your garden provide habitat for wildlife. Click the links in the text to find further information.
- Plant a variety of species of varying heights and densities; providing food at different times of the year check out this resource from the Department of Conservation!
- Rethink your approach to weeds and embrace a bit of wild in your garden. Explore alternatives to chemical sprays, and learn about edible weeds.
- Remove and dispose of invasive pest plants safely.
- Could your green 'waste' become a resource? Could you compost it or create piles of sticks and leaves to make habitat?
- Build a bug hotel out of recycled materials with plenty of nooks and crannies for bugs to hide.
- Build a weta motel with a cosy burrow safe from predators.
- Build a lizard lounge with safe places to hide and bask in the sun.
- Provide supplementary food for native birds with a sugar water feeding station or cut fruit in the trees.
Protect Wildlife from pets and predators
New Zealands' native plants and animals evolved in the absence of mammalian predators, leaving them incredibly vulnerable, with many species now threatened or extinct. Predators such as rats, possums, stoats and even cats eat nesting chicks, eggs, and lizards. In addition, possums eat huge volumes of native vegetation (and our fruit trees and roses!).
Keeping your backyard wildlife safe from predators and pets is critical when providing space for nature. Traps for predators are widely available and easy to use, but first you need to work out what predators may be present in your garden. Some of the things you can do include:
- Grab a free backyard rat trap from Predator Free Bay of Plenty; and borrow a range of other traps through the Bay of Plenty Trap Libraries Initiative.
- Make your cat conservation friendly; by keeping it inside where possible, or making or purchasing an anti predation collar or cat scrunchie!
Observe and connect with your wider neighbourhood
Observing the changes taking place in your backyard, and of course enjoying the benefits is key - if the wildlife are enjoying it, you probably will be too! There are national initiatives you can take part in to assess your garden and observe the wildlife too. Looking further afield, think about what is happening outside your gate, and how that might be impacting the wildlife in your patch. We encourage you to:
- Check out your Garden Star Score - an easy to use scientific assessment developed through the People Cities and Nature programme.
- Record what you observe in your garden and contributing to citizen science initiatives such as the NZ Garden Bird Survey (end of Autumn).
- Share your observations with the Space for Nature crew, via our Facebook Group or by emailing us; or log them on INaturalist - an international network of citizen scientists.
- Think about what's outside your gate- ask your local District Council about options for Street Trees and berm gardening.
- Get involved in restoration activities happening in your local reserve. Get in touch with us if you need help finding who to contact. Bay Conservation Alliance, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, or the Regional Environment Network are great places to start.
- Check out the Western Bay of Plenty Ecological Connectivity study - to see if you live near one of the areas identified as an important habitat or stepping stone for key wildlife species.
- Get the kids involved as much as you can in Space for Nature activities, and encourage their school to get involved too! Here is a list of some cool resources:
- Check out the Backyard Biodiversity video series by Taranaki Regional Council and Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust.
- Learn what kind of wildlife you might find in your own garden with this cool Meet the Locals video.
- Check out the cool resources and activities on the Trees that Count website.
- Join the Kiwi Conservation Club (KCC) and check out their online resources.
Who can join?
We are starting in the Western Bay of Plenty urban areas. If you are outside this area; please still get in touch and we will add you to our contact list when the project rolls out to other areas.
We are inviting urban residents, schools and education providers, businesses and community organisations to come on board.
Your Space for Nature membership includes:
- a sign for your gate or letterbox;
- resource booklet;
- personalised welcome email with links to further local resources;
- free backyard rat trap and tunnel through Predator Free Bay of Plenty;
- A native tree or shrub to plant in your garden;
- Our quarterly newsletter;
- Invitations to our quarterly workshops and garden tours.
For education providers and businesses we can provide you with a framed certificate for your office; a shout out via our social media; and talk about how else we can support you on your Space for Nature journey.
How much does it cost?
Thanks to funding from Bay Trust and Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Space for Nature is free for urban residents and schools. If you feel called to, a donation to Envirohub to develop and grow the programme would be much appreciated. For businesses, a suggested koha of $40 would be much appreciated!
How Space for Nature works
Find out more!
To find out more you can contact us via email on wpr@envirohub.org.nz or phoning our office at 31B Glasgow Street, Tauranga on 07) 578 6664
We'd love to hear how you are getting on, make sure you follow us on social media via the links below:
Facebook Page
Instagram Page
