A civic verification layer for private land

Recognise private gardens as ecological assets.

Collectively, gardens form one of the largest untapped ecological assets in our cities. Ecological Registry provides the structure that allows private gardens to become measurable, trusted contributors to urban biodiversity.

Register your garden See an example Registry layer →

Measured Verified Privacy-first Baseline → change

↓ About

Most urban gardens contribute little to biodiversity.

Most gardens were never designed to function as ecological systems. They are arranged for neatness and maintenance — not for habitat continuity, soil regeneration, or layered life.

They may be beautiful. They may be carefully tended. Yet within fragmented urban landscapes, they often provide minimal structure for the living processes that sustain ecosystems.

This is not a failure of care. It is the inheritance of a design culture that separated ornament from ecology.

The opportunity now is clear.

Private land is one of the largest spatial resources in our cities. When it begins to function ecologically, even incrementally, the cumulative effect is significant.

↓ Function

A garden can function ecologically.

A garden can improve soil over time, support layered habitat, and strengthen the living processes that sustain urban ecosystems. When canopy, shrub, and ground layers work together, even small spaces begin to hold moisture, shelter insects, and provide continuity for birds and pollinators.

It can connect to nearby parkland and remnant vegetation, contributing to habitat networks that extend beyond a single property boundary. With thoughtful structure and incremental improvement, a garden becomes more resilient and more alive with each season.

This is not theoretical. It is design.

↓ How it works

How it works

A light process designed for long horizons — gardens take years.

Step 1

Register

Create a public profile and choose privacy settings. Add a name, a few images, and basic context.

Step 2

Baseline

Record what’s there: structure, habitat features, soil cover, and water logic. Keep it practical.

Step 3

Improve

Add upgrades over time. Each update becomes a timestamped change-log entry with images and notes.

Step 4

Verification

Verified gardens carry a trusted mark for partners, pilots, and incentives.

↓ Signals

Signals (v1)

Measurement stays practical — the goal is not scientific theatre. A garden should know where it is, and what “better” means. These are intentionally simple signals that can be refined later.

Note: Signals evolve with the registry. Early versions stay simple; depth arrives through iteration and steward feedback.

↓ Privacy

Privacy

The public page shows what’s needed for meaning and trust: story, images, broad signals, and improvement. Address-level data and sensitive notes stay private unless explicitly enabled.

The registry is designed so neighbours can understand the work — without exposing private detail.

Public

Curated profile

Photos, story, broad signals, and an improvement timeline.

Private

Sensitive layer

Address, detailed notes, raw records, and anything the steward chooses not to publish.

Control

Owner governed

The steward controls what appears publicly and what stays private.

↓ Governance

Governance

Ecological Registry operates as an independent verification framework for ecological gardens.

Assessments and verification pathways are designed to be lightweight, transparent, and repeatable — prioritising clear evidence over complexity.

Gardener & Son is the founding implementation partner, responsible for early field work, documentation standards, and initial registry operations.

Principle

Transparency

Scoring is explainable. Change is timestamped. Evidence is visible.

Principle

Repeatability

A consistent baseline method, designed to evolve without breaking trust.

↓ Example

Example garden

A single page that shows the pattern: profile + baseline + changes over time.

Registered Garden

REG-VIC-SH-001

View a public profile page with status, verification, score, badges, and dated field notes.

What you’ll see

Public page

A calm profile: images, story, broad signals, and a change log that reads like a garden diary.

What stays private

Sensitive details

Address-level records and raw notes remain private unless explicitly published.

Open the example garden

↓ System

The Registry Layer

Individual gardens matter — but systemic change requires infrastructure around them. The registry layer creates the baseline record and change trail that incentives can sit on top of.

When gardens can be trusted, they can be supported: stewardship with proof, and restoration that can scale.