Conserving nature, wildlife, biodiversity, (re)wilding, green and blue infrastructure ... have not been traditional Transition Town Kingston pursuits, though we hosted a "Living Landscapes - making space for nature in Kingston" panel discussion back in 2012 (read the report here), and it has become increasingly clear that the natural world is not just good for wildlife but for people and planet as well. Greenery has an important part to play in reducing carbon emissions and some of the damaging effects of our lifestyles and climate change, such as urban heating, pollution and flooding. 

Kingston has its partly green riversides (the Thames and the Hogsmill) and is surrounded by large biodiverse green spaces, but access to them is uneven, some of our parks, gardens, roadside verges and other local green spaces are over-manicured green deserts, and they do not connect up to provide green corridors for wildlife movement, foraging and habitats - see this map. What can and should we do about it? We suggested one answer in Greening Kingston – an Open Letter, in July 2025.


What can we do to support nature in our borough?
We can suport conservation and wilding activities and biodiversity corridors...:

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Find more here on the benefits of going wild: how wilding and naturalising our public and private green spaces help our wellbeing and mitigate the biodiversity and climate crises. For how to make a start at home see also Growing tips for green gardeners.

Find out more about TTK's wilding project here, and click here if you'd like to help TTK to plan and make progress on the next steps of the project.
 
If you'd like to adopt and (re-)wild a grass verge or a Council-owned flower-bed or donate a tree please email for permission and guidance from the Council Green Spaces Team. 
We can volunteer outdoors:

- You will meet nice people and probably learn something interesting about nature conservation or growing wildflowers and edibles...
- You will do something useful - anyone can and will see the results with a bit of guidance and patience.
- Fresh produce - herbs, vegetables, fruit - from a garden taste much better than produce from a shop, and come with less packaging! 
- You will get exercise in the fresh air, good for your physical health.- 
- You will connect with nature and a local green space, good for your mental health and wellbeing: Community plots provide social benefits and can lessen supply shocks, supporters say

We can find and share outdoor opportunities:

TTK supports Canbury Community Garden (where volunteers with all levels of gardening skills are always welcome) and there are others in the borough - see Community gardens in Kingston to find one near you or to add your own project. Or see TTK Food page or Kingston Environment News for a selection of other volunteering opportunities; you could also try searching Connected Kingston for conservation/outdoor/gardening volunatry activities. 

These pages are regularly edited and updated - please contact us if you spot errors, broken or obsolete links, or info we could usefully add.