Please note:

The Go Wild Festival ran at Kew and Wakehurst place for the summer of 2003. As such many of the festival features can no longer be seen in the gardens, but this website has been kept to give visitors access to wealth of information developed to support the festival.

Don't forget to check out the latest events in the gardens. Find out more......

Wildlife at Kew

Wild Fact 1: The varied plant collections of Kew and all their associated insects support a resident population of over 40 species of birds, with an extra 30 species visiting regularly!

Wild Science: Birds at Kew >>>

Wild Fact 6: Butterflies in the U.K have suffered a drastic decline in the last century mainly due to habitat loss. At least 23 species have been recorded at Kew since 1980 reflecting the variety of habitats present.

Wild Science: Butterflies at Kew >>>

Wild Fact 7: Dragonflies and Damselflies both need water to breed and can be seen around ponds and rivers from early June and through the summer months. Both the adults and the larvae are carnivorous.

Wild Science: Dragonflies and Damselflies >>>

Wild Fact 23: Five of the UK's resident butterfly species have become extinct over the last 150 years, the most recent of these being the Large Blue (Maculinea arion) which disappeared in 1979. It is has since been deliberately re-introduced. Fifteen butterfly species have undergone substantial recent expansion in their range, probably as a result of a warming climate. (source: Butterfly Conservation)

Wild Science: Butterflies at Kew >>>

External link: Butterfly Conservation >>>

Wild Fact 45: The striking red-faced Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) has spread northwards in recent years and the UK population is in expansion. This pretty bird is a seed-eater, with a special taste for seeds of the Compositae (Daisy) family (ragwort, groundsel etc.) and Teasel (Dipsacus spp.)

Wild Science: Birds at Kew >>>

Wild Science: Birds at Wakehurst >>>

Festival Features: Blooms, birds, bugs and bees >>>

What is biodiversity?
What is a native plant?
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