Ecology and Wildlife Monitoring
Our Wildlife monitoring programmes form a key part of our work on Hampstead Heath. We support the City of London to deliver monitoring programmes on key species wildlife species across our open spaces.
Our volunteer wildlife monitors work in small groups collecting primary ecological data that feeds into the Heath’s conservation management plans.
On this page, you can read our ecological monitoring programmes, as well as finding out more about the species we monitor.
If you would like to get involved in our wildlife monitoring projects, do check out our volunteer page or for trees and flora, check our nature’s calendar webpage.
One important aspect of our monitoring programmes is that the information from them feeds into reports (below), national databases, and also directly into Hampstead Heath’s Annual Work Programme and our conservation work.
Hampstead Heath Wildlife and Ecology reports
Click above to read our butterfly monitoring report for the 2025 monitoring season on Hampstead Heath.
Download our most recent year’s Hampstead Heath reptile monitoring results (report for the 2025 season)
Download our report on Hampstead Heath’s dragonfly and damselfly monitoring programme 2023-25.
Read the report for our 2025 Stag Beetle monitoring programme on Hampstead Heath.
We run hedgehog surveys on Hampstead Heath every 3 years in collaboration with colleagues at the CoLC and ZSL’s London Hogwatch. Read the most recent hedgehog monitoring report, compiled by the London Hogwatch team.
Read the 2020 Hampstead Heath nesting bird survey report from the survey carried out by the Heath and Hampstead Society.
Read about approaches to controlling Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) in this article by Alasdair Nichol from Hampstead Heath’s Tree Team.
Read about the value of standing dead wood (dead trees left in situ) in this article by David Humphries, Tree Management Officer at the City of London Corporation.
Videos to find out more
Want to find out more? Check out the following video talks hosted by the LNHS:
Wildlife Monitoring on Hampstead Heath by Rory Dimond of Heath Hands
Hedgehog monitoring by Dr Chris Carbone from London Hogwatch
Nesting bird survey by Professor Jeff Waage of Heath Hands and the Heath and Hampstead Society.
Ecology blog posts
Find out about some of the species we monitor (and a few others!) in our recent ecology blog posts.
