Autumn grips the Heath
There’s no doubting the seasons are shifting as quickly as the rain clouds over the Heath today, and, with that, our practical conservation programme progresses to some important work at this time of year, namely, hedgerows. In collaboration with the Heath’s Conservation Team, work will be carried out to cut back hedges after bird nesting season, and to carry our repairs in damaged sections, including dead-hedging and blocking up sensitive areas to enable recovery.
This year, we’re especially excited to be fundraising to plant some 200m of new native hedgerow around Parliament Hill. The aims of the project are to:
boost habitat connectivity, particularly for the area’s resident population of hedgehogs
increase climate resilience in terms of flood resilience, carbon sequestration and air quality
improve the aesthetics of some fencelines and buildings
involve the local community in planting and therefore increase awareness of the importance of hedgerows
As you can see below, we are almost one third of the way to our fundraising target of £9,000. If you can support us, please follow this link, and your donation will be tripled as it is matched by both Aviva Community Fund and British Airways Better World Community Fund.
Our crowdfunder totaliser as at 20th October 2025
The campaign is called ‘Hampstead Heath Hedgerow Heroes’ because the project wouldn’t be possible without our amazing volunteers. We’re going to be giving lots of local residents and schoolchildren the chance to take part in the planting and help boost biodiversity and leave a lasting legacy in terms of climate resilience for the Heath.
Our Conservation Volunteers with Ranger Matt at an Autumnal Athlone Gardens
Some of our ‘hedgerow heroes’ busy working on an Extension hedge.
This time of year also marks the publication of the official Hampstead Heath calendar. As in previous years, this features a stunning selection of images of the Heath’s wildlife and our 2025 photo competition winner!
Head over to our webshop to pick up your copy, or visit us in person at the Heath Information Hut every Saturday!
And finally, do remember to check our events page for our regular programme of drop-in nature activities, guided walks and workshops to make the most of the Heath in Autumn!
