Buzzing in N1: Highlights from the King Henry’s Walk Garden Annual Bioblitz

Reported by David Harrison, Trustee and Management Committee Member for Sustainability

Hidden just behind King Henry’s Walk in Islington (London, N1 4NX), our community green space is home to a rich and resilient array of urban wildlife. Every summer, visitors, garden members, visiting naturalists and local families gather for our Annual Bioblitz, an intensive biological survey focused on recording as many living species across the garden as possible within a set period. It acts as an annual health check for our urban micro-ecosystem, showing us how our pond, woodland copse and cultivated plots support local biodiversity.

We are fortunate to be generously supported by visiting specialists whose time and field experience make this survey possible:

• Will Atkins: Zoologist, wildlife conservationist, and the long-standing Chair of Trustees for the London, Essex and Hertfordshire Amphibian and Reptile Trust (LEHART)
• Hannah McDowall: Specialist surveyor for terrestrial insects and garden pollinators
• Phil Paulo: Director of the London Tree Ring, CPRE (The Countryside Charity London)

2026 Bioblitz highlights

Our overall count confirms that wildlife remains abundant across the garden:

• Pond Life in Abundance: Under Will Atkin’s guidance, pond dipping revealed thriving numbers of Smooth Newts (Lissotriton vulgaris) alongside bright flashes of Azure and Large Red Damselflies skimming the water’s surface.
• Pollinators & Garden Insects: Surveyed by Hannah McDowall, our flower borders and plots yielded several pollinator highlights, including the Bronze Furrow Bee (Halictus tumulorum), Red Admiral and Large White butterflies, and visiting Cuckoo Bumblebees (Psithyrus vestalis).
• New Additions: While widespread native wetland plants across London, this survey marked the first official Bioblitz recording for Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and Great Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) in our pond margins.

Habitat management: Next steps

A Bioblitz is not simply an inventory, it directly shapes our practical conservation work throughout the year:

• Pond Care (with Will Atkins): In September, we’ll dig back and thin our vigorous yellow flags (Iris pseudacorus) to protect open water. Will also reminded us there’s no need to keep the pond topped up to the brim, we simply need to ensure it doesn’t dry out entirely.
• Woodland Canopy (with Phil Paulo): Phil advised selectively thinning parts of the woodland canopy, where tall, crowded trees block sunlight from reaching the floor. We are consulting Islington Council tree experts before carrying out any work.

Complete 2026 species record

Recorded on 21st June 2026 by Will Atkins (Pond Zone) and Hannah McDowall (Garden Insects).

Complete species directory

Photo Credits