Invertebrates in Fulham Cemetery

◀️ Back to: Wildlife & Biodiversity

Plants and insects form the foundation of a healthy ecosystem, which faces significant challenges in urban settings. Noticing these often-overlooked organisms is the first step toward caring for our natural world.

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Bulbs & wildflowers

🌼 New: 4 insect boxes have been installed in December 2024! Photo gallery

Bees and bumblebees

Bee and insect box

Holes drilled in dead tree stump

In Britain we have around 270 species of bee and of them, 24 are species of bumblebee. Bumblebees are vitally important for pollinating hundreds of plant species, but they are under threat due to pressures such as development and climate change. Green spaces like the cemetery provide them with vital habitat.

Helping bees and bumblebees:

The council leaves areas unmowed over summer to increase plant species for insects.
Fulham Cemetery Friends are planting native spring flowering bulbs to provide more food for bumblebees early in the year.
In December 2024, Fulham Cemetery Friends installed 2 bee & insect boxes, thanks to the Veolia Sustainability Fund.
We have been drilling holes of varying diameters in tree stumps, to create additional nesting locations for solitary bees.

Find out more:

🧭 View observations of insects and other organisms in Fulham Cemetery on iNaturalist

Butterflies, moths, and caterpillars

Butterfly and bee box

Recording the presence of butterflies in gardens, parks and greenspaces provides valuable information about their status and the health of the environment. Butterflies and moths are good indicators of environmental change and the quality of our countryside and urban landscape.

We had a sobering report from the 2024 Big Butterfly Count. Sadly, the count shows a marked and hugely concerning decline in butterfly numbers. This underscores the important of providing habitat.

Helping butterflies:

The council leaves areas unmowed over summer to provide habitat for butterflies and caterpillars.
The council does not use neonicotinoid pesticides. Please avoid their use in your own garden.
In December 2024, Fulham Cemetery Friends installed 2 butterfly boxes, thanks to the Veolia Sustainability Fund
The Friends are planning to participate in the Big Butterfly Count in 2025.
The Friends have shared information on identifying butterflies in 2025.
The Friends are doing pollinator counts during summer 2025.
View pollinator counts on this shared spreadsheet
The Friends are planning a moth count event in 2025.