Mapped: the most biodiverse areas in Great Britain

To celebrate Great Britain’s biodiversity and encourage more people to go out and experience the natural world, the team at Holidaycottages.co.uk reveal the number of distant species, from mammals and birds, to insects and mushrooms, in an interactive map.

Just how biodiverse is your area? Now it’s easy to search via our map and see just how many different species of mammals, birds, fish, plants, and more can be found in any area of Great Britain. Simply type in your area and if you want to see all species or a specific one, for example, mushrooms and fungi.

Bird lovers will want to visit North Norfolk as it has the highest number of different species (434) than any other. If you’re trying to avoid insects and creepy crawlies, you’ll love the City of London with only 49 different species, but arachnophobes beware, East Cambridgeshire has the most insect and arachnid species with 7,611. A trip to the Highlands is recommended for those wanting to see the most varied plants (2,956) and mammal (67) species in Great Britain.

Below is data revealing the 10 most and least biodiverse areas in Great Britain; more data available on request or from our interactive map.

Top 10 most biodiverse areas
1. Highland - 16,273
2. Gwynedd - 14,221
3. Shropshire - 13,218
4. Powys - 12,671
5. Pembrokeshire - 11,495
6. Swansea - 11,375
7. Breckland - 11,023
8. Herefordshire - 10,927
9. New Forest - 10,912
10.East Cambridgeshire - 10,823

The 10 least biodiverse areas
1. City of London - 159
2. Islington - 333
3. Tower Hamlets - 452
4. Middlesbrough - 542
5. Hammersmith and Fulham - 562
6. Newham - 595
7. Brent - 617
8. Kingston upon Hull - 640
9. Slough - 664
10.Harlow - 685


The 2019 State of Nature report shows the UK’s biodiversity is declining and 15% of species are threatened from extinction, but what can we do to help? Here are some tips from Holidaycottages.co.uk on what you can do to give mother nature a helping hand:

Leave nature as you found it
Stick to designated paths in areas where your footsteps might erode or destroy important habitats, and don’t collect natural souvenirs without careful consideration of how it might affect wildlife!

Think about what you pack
Avoid single-use plastic like water bottles and take a reusable shopping bag, whether it’s to local markets or windswept hilltop picnics.

Take public transport where possible
You’ll help carbon emissions and reduce the environmental damage caused by vehicles on delicate thoroughfares by taking a bus or a train to the nature spot.

Walk!
When you’ve got to your destination, stretch those legs! As long as you’re respectful of animals and their habitats, the best way to enjoy Mother Nature is up close.

Go local
By consuming local products you’ll save on the carbon emissions and packaging waste created by long-haul transportation.

Support can be a souvenir
Many beauty spots are maintained and protected by charitable bodies like The National Trust. A small donation or show of support will help preserve the local fauna and flora.

Shannon Keary from Holidaycottages.co.uk had this to say: “We’re becoming increasingly aware of the environment and our impact on biodiversity. At Holidaycottages.co.uk we want to encourage people to explore and enjoy what mother nature has given us in different areas of Great Britain, whilst doing their bit to preserve the local wildlife for future generations to come”.

ENDS

About Holidaycottages.co.uk
Holidaycottages.co.uk are proud to be one of the leading accommodation providers in the UK with a collection of over 6,000 properties and are committed to making sure its customers have the best possible experience, whether booking a holiday or letting a property with us.

Notes to editors
All data on the number of species was extracted from National Biodiversity Network Atlas as species having at least 1 occurrence within the boundaries of a given local area. Areas with the highest total number of distinct species were deemed more biodiverse and areas with a lower count of distinct species were deemed less biodiverse.

Credit

Please credit this research to Holidaycottages.co.uk.



Media contact

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