The hotel space for the frogs and toads is part of wider improvements to the green space which also includes a new bog pond, wildlife friendly nature paths and native plantings. The project was put together by the Archbishop’s Park Community Trust volunteers using £12,000 from the Mayor of London’s Rewild London Fund, in partnership with the London Wildlife Trust.
Mete Coban, the Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, visited the site alongside Lambeth councillors and community trust volunteers on Tuesday, 9 December to see the completed project.
Cllr Donatus Anyanwu, Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities, said: “This project is a big boost for wildlife at Archbishop’s Park and supports our commitment to sustainability, biodiversity, and community-led environmental action.
“We’re really pleased to have worked with the community and the GLA on making it happen, and I was delighted to see first-hand the outcome of everyone’s efforts here.”
Archbishop’s Park is a medium-sized open space that sits on what was once part of Lambeth Palace, the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Part of the Palace grounds were then set aside for local people and it was opened as a public park in 1901.
Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban said: “Thanks to funding from the Mayor and the efforts of local volunteers, the new amphibians’ hotel and pond will provide a thriving habitat for wildlife. The Archbishop’s Amphibians project is a great example of local communities working together to rewild our city as we continue building a greener London for everyone.”
The project also benefited from an educational partnership with Froglife, a national amphibian conservation charity, who provided ecological expertise and trained volunteers in habitat creation and biodiversity monitoring. Local residents have also been trained to record wildlife data via Greenspace Information for Greater London helping build a clearer picture of urban amphibian populations.
Interest in the project has already inspired neighbouring green spaces to consider installing their own wildlife ponds linking in with the London Blue Chain Project (2024), which aims to restore amphibian habitats across the capital.
Archbishop’s Park is one of Lambeth’s Green Flag Award-winning parks, and a holder of a ‘Park of the Year’ award from London in Bloom. These awards recognise the achievements made to provide visitors to and residents of Lambeth with a clean, safe, welcoming and popular open space they can all be proud of.
