Bug hotels, bird boxes and wildlife shelters have been installed at a number of North London stations

Stations in Enfield and Barnet are being made more “nature friendly” with homes for insects being installed by rail operator Great Northern.

With one-in-six species under threat of extinction in the UK, Great Northern is doing its bit to enhance biodiversity on the railway by teaming up with the Bee Friendly Trust create more than 20 “homes for nature” at six stations, including New Southgate, Hadley Wood, Grange Park and New Barnet, plus two others in Hertfordshire.

Each site has two types of bird boxes, iconic striped bug hotels for solitary insects, and hibernacula – shelters filled with timber and wood to give small animals and insects a place to live during the winter months.

Eloise Rowan, an environment specialist at Great Northern’s parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), said: “At GTR we’re committed to creating a railway for nature by enhancing biodiversity and encouraging nature recovery. Our ‘Homes for Nature’ initiative is just one way we plan to support a thriving natural environment.

“Nature is in crisis in the UK with the latest State of Nature report detailing that since 1970 UK species have declined around 19% on average and nearly one in six species are now threatened with extinction.

“Our work with the Bee Friendly Trust aims to make our sites a little more friendly for local wildlife, big and small, and help to lessen that threat.”

Dr Luke Dixon, director at Bee Friendly Trust, added: “Our rail network gives wonderful opportunities to create homes for nature and provide a network not just for trains, but for wildlife of every kind – from deer to butterflies – to move safely around the country. Great Northern links habitats in the heart of the city to the depths of the countryside.”

GTR has promised to create, or enhance, 100 homes for nature across its network – ranging from bug hotels to wild gardens. Earlier this year it also created 20 homes for nature at six stations on the Thameslink route between London and Bedford.

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