London's Secret Wildlife Garden

I love how London is full of secret places 

that make you feel you are in the middle 

of the English countryside. 

Some of them are neatly hidden away near the Thames, 

while others are right under Londoners' noses. 

And there is one that is nestled 

in the shadow of one of the world's finest museums, 

right in the middle of one of the city's busiest roads,

The Natural History Museum's wildlife garden 

is a little green patch of peace and quiet, 

that is full of surprises and hidden adventures for the little ones. 

Every time we go to the NHM, 

after the obligatory visit to see the dinosaurs, 

the boy always asks to go to the 'secret garden'.  

You see, opening hidden compartments 

and searching for ancient fossils 

are pretty exciting things to do for a 4-year-old.

The Wildlife Garden, despite its rather small size, 

has plenty of  things for the little ones to discover: 

there is a Bee Tree, a tree trunk with an in-built beehive, 

and cupboards that reveal the different colours of the soil layers. 

The most impressive one though is the limestone slab 

with an Iguanodon's footprints that date back 140 million years. 

There is also a pond with beautiful water lilies 

and an adventurous stepping stones crossing,  

as well as a fenced meadow full of wildflowers. 

What's extraordinary 

is that this little garden in the heart of London 

is home to an impressive 2,600 species of fauna and flora.

From tadpoles and holy blue butterflies 

to foxes, blue tit birds, and bee orchids.

This is an invaluable place

to initiate children to the wonders of nature 

and make exploring and learning about the world around us 

so easy and so much fun.

In nutshell: a piece of natural heaven

in the heart of busy London.

The Wildlife Garden at the Natural History Museum

is open daily from the end of March to early November.

Entry is free. More info here.