Wildlife and nature reserve

See the amazing wildlife that call this area home

Darley Park hosts a Wildlife Garden next to the Hydrangea Collection and you can also find two larger wildlife sites in Darley Abbey along the River Derwent corridor.

The Wildlife Garden is found near the Terrace Café, next to Hydrangea Derby.  The volunteer gardeners are incorporating diverse habitats to encourage as much wildlife into the garden as possible. No pesticides are used in the garden, as they rely on the natural predators which use the garden. The mini meadow, herbaceous borders and nectar bed provide food for pollinating invertebrates, and seeds and berries for birds. 

Darley and Nutwood Local Nature Reserve and the Darley Park Wildflower Meadow provide the perfect home to a wide range of common species and a few rarities, including:

• the bee orchid
• otters
• shrews
• barn owls
• green and great spotted woodpeckers
• kingfishers
• emerald damselflies

Peregrine falcons which nest in Derby Cathedral are often spotted overhead.

Nutwood became a local nature reserve in January 2008. It is located about 400 metres upstream from the toll bridge and is about 10 hectares in size.

For more information, visit the Darley and Nutwood website.

There are lots of organised activities such as nature walks and conservation days held on the wildlife sites. For more information visit www.darleyandnutwood.org.uk