Boundaries and Corridors
What?
Fences, walls, hedges and verges aren’t just edges , they’re lifelines for wildlife. These boundary features can link gardens, fields, schools and workplaces into continuous corridors that allow species to move freely and in safety through the neighbourhoods they share with us. When we make our boundaries greener and more permeable, we connect our spaces to the Island-wide living network that keeps nature thriving. Boundary features can also be very useful habitats for wildlife in their own right, providing nesting sites for solitary bees, warm basking surfaces for butterflies, or handy platforms for a bird feeder or a nest box.
Where?
Everywhere: gardens, allotments, business sites, schools, farms and community spaces. On the Isle of Wight, because so much of our habitat comes in small parcels, edges and boundaries of all sorts are a very significant component of the ecological network. Every connected boundary helps bridge gaps between urban greenspace, countryside and coast. We should take every opportunity to make better hedges, add wildlife value to fences, create green walls, and allow verges of all kinds to develop useful plant cover. For site-specific actions, check out the Isle of Wight Habitat Map, and find out what is particularly special in your neighbourhood.
How?
Let wildlife pass through. Leave small gaps (around 13 × 13 cm) at the base of fences for small mammals and amphibians, such as hedgehogs and toads.
Choose green boundaries. Replace solid fencing with native hedges or climbing plants on trellis or wire mesh, or combine the two.
Fill gaps in existing hedges using species like hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, holly, field maple, dogwood and elm (there are now plenty of disease-resistant varieties available).
Mix heights and textures. Layer canopy, shrubs, tall herbs and ground cover to create a more natural and attractive structure for wildlife.
Plant verge and edge strips. A 1–2 m band of long grass or wildflowers along paths and walls acts as a mini-wildlife highway. Even if you leave a strip of your existing grass verge to grow long you will find that it has plenty of flowers just waiting to come through.
Reduce tidying. Allow hedgerows to thicken up at the base (making an ‘A’ shape in cross-section). Keep fruit, berries and seeds on your winter shrubs and hedges for as long as possible to feed hungry wildlife, leave trimming until late winter (but before the bird breeding season), or reduce cutting in some areas to every other year, or longer.
Link planting across boundaries. Talk with your neighbours and see if you can piece together a network of connected conservation routes through your neighborhood.
Soften hard edges. Add planting between paving and fences to buffer noise and filter water runoff. Allow boundaries, hedges and verges to grade gradually into the areas alongside, creating what is called a ‘transition zone’ that supports much more wildlife than hard edges and full stops.
Enhance verges and buffer zones.
Cut and collect clippings once or twice a year to lower soil fertility and promote wildflowers.
Rotate mowing so some sections stay long each season.
Expose small patches of bare soil for solitary bees.
Add small mounds, hollows or pits to create wet and dry niches.
Create vertical links. Use climbing plants, planters or rain chains to connect ground-level greenery with walls, roofs and balconies.
When?
Plant or repair hedges and edge vegetation in autumn or early spring. Carry out hedge trimming or verge cutting outside the March–September nesting season. Leave some refuge areas uncut each year, especially through winter.
Why?
Corridors and connected boundaries are vital for wildlife to move across the landscape. They support pollination, seed dispersal, and breeding success while reducing isolation of habitats. On the Isle of Wight — where the landscape is compact and diverse — every joined-up fence, hedge, verge and green lane helps maintain the Biosphere’s living network and allows species to adapt to climate change.
Actions for Isle of Wight Species
Hedgehogs rely on linked gardens and fence gaps to roam and forage safely.
Bats follow hedgerows and treelines as flight paths between feeding sites.
Bees, butterflies and hoverflies use continuous flower strips and verges for nectar and shelter.
Frogs, toads and newts move between ponds using vegetated corridors.
Red squirrels benefit from connected hedges and tree canopies in rural and suburban areas.
Birds including sparrows and wrens nest in dense, untrimmed hedges and feed on insect-rich verges.
Observe and Record
Take photos before and after — even a few months apart shows change.
Note what wildlife visits: bees, birds, butterflies, mosses.
Watching your patch change is part of the recovery story — and your records can feed into the Island’s Local Nature Recovery data.
“Supports LNRS connectivity measures strengthening wildlife corridors and field edge habitats: UGG1.2 Priority ‘special’ roadside verge management | LP1.5 General verge management”