Natural Environment

Our immediate natural environment consists of all living and non-living things that naturally occur in our environment including trees, hedges, meadows, birds, insects, rocks, soil, rivers, ponds. Enhancing these results in a pleasant environment for us live in, offsets greenhouse gas emissions, improves biodiversity, builds climate resilience and helps us develop sustainably.

Through planning policies, we are asking that new developments demonstrate biodiversity net gain.
We organised a volunteer day for our staff to plant 150 trees at Aberford Park.
Seven of our parks hold the Green Flags Award: King George Recreation Ground, Aberford Park, Oakmere Park, Parkfield, Fisher’s Field & Park Local Nature Reserve, Bushey Rose Garden, Mary Forsdyke Garden and Warren Lake.
We have management plans and greenspace action plans for a number of our parks and open spaces.
All paper used for printing in the Civic Offices is FSC certified.
We have partnered with Hertfordshire County Council to giveaway 6,000 trees in 2022 to our residents, businesses and community groups under the Your Tree, Our Future programme.

Residents can improve biodiversity by planting pollinator friendly flowers, bushes, hedges and trees in their gardens.
By greening your garden such as soft landscaping your front gardens instead of paving, residents can support biodiversity.
Residents can put bird feeders and build bug hotels in their garden. Here are a few things to keep in mind when feeding birds.
Use organic maintenance methods in your garden.
Do not litter. Plastic is harmful for marine life, animals and birds that may accidentally ingest it.
Buy seasonally and locally produced food. It supports local biodiversity and is fresher and better for you.
Get active outdoors to experience the natural environment responsibly. It is easy, cheap, fun and good for your physical and mental health.

If you run a restaurant, your business can support biodiversity by sourcing from responsible food production companies, by reducing use of plastics, using compostable plastics/paper where appropriate, grow an edible garden.
If you are a coffee shop, you could look into composting the spent coffee beans.
If you are a clothing retailer, you could support biodiversity by working with your supply chain to make it more biodiversity friendly.

Natural Environment

What is the council doing?

What can residents do?

What can businesses do?