Wild About Slugs and Snails

Wild About Gardens is a joint initiative by the RHS and The Wildlife Trusts to get more people growing for wildlife.

Making friends with molluscs

In 2024, we are shining a light on slugs and snails. Often given a bad rap, molluscs do a lot of good work in our green spaces. Although they are not topping any endangered species lists, they are important parts of our garden ecosystems. As well as serving as an important food source for some of our favourite garden visitors, some species of slug and snail help to break down waste and return nutrients to the soil.

Pledge to be a slug and snail supporter.

Make a pledge
 


Download our new Wild About Gardens booklet to learn more about molluscs and how to garden alongside them. Use our slug and snail safari spotter sheets to help your children and young people identify some of your gastropod garden guests.

Free resources

How can you help?

Your school garden can make a difference by helping protect the plants, animals and fungi that benefit our gardens and protect the wider environment.

Helen Bostock, RHS Senior Horticultural Advisor, says: "While a small number of slugs and snails can cause damage to certain plants, overall they bring many benefits to our gardens and green spaces contributing to a balanced ecosystem, whether that's by clearing away rotting vegetation or providing a vital food source for more popular garden visitors such as frogs, hedgehogs and song thrushes. We hope that by highlighting the crucial work that molluscs do in our gardens we can help give them a well-deserved reputation makeover.

Helping other wildlife

There are other Wild About Gardens booklets for butterflies, ponds, hedgehogs, worms, bats, bees, beetles, swifts, swallows and martins. These booklets can be found at the bottom of the Wild About Gardens webpage, under ‘More ways to help wildlife’.

Find out more