A Few Words from our Founder- Sean McMenemy
For as long as I can remember, nature has been my greatest teacher. As a child, I’d lose hours watching birds build their nests, tracking fox prints in the mud, or marvelling at hedgehogs snuffling in the undergrowth. But as the years passed, I noticed something unsettling—those familiar sights and sounds were fading. Fewer birdsong-filled mornings. Fewer bees bumbling between flowers. Fewer hedgehogs rustling in the twilight.
I couldn’t just watch this decline unfold—I had to do something. And so, Ark Wildlife was born—not as a business, but as a mission. A way to help others notice, connect with, and nurture the wildlife that still clings on in our gardens.
Because nature isn’t just what we see in front of us—it’s all around us, in ways we often overlook. It’s in the soil beneath our feet, alive with hidden creatures recycling life itself. It’s in the branches above, where birds raise their young. It’s in the quiet rustle of a hedgehog in the undergrowth and the silent drift of a barn owl through the dusk. From the soil to the sky, every piece is connected, and every garden has the power to bring nature back.
I believe nature isn’t something ‘out there’ in the countryside—it’s right here, outside your window. And the small things we do—leaving a patch of long grass, putting out the right food, planting for pollinators—can make a world of difference.
So that’s what I do. I share what I’ve learned from a lifetime of watching, studying, and truly understanding British wildlife. I take the science, the field notes, and the years of experience and turn them into simple, doable steps that anyone can take. Because nature belongs to all of us, and together, we can bring it back—one garden at a time.
Our Roots
Sean was raised on a smallholding in Bedfordshire in the 1960s, surrounded by apple orchards, ponds, and allotments. His playground was the great outdoors, where he learned about the environment and the incredible diversity of life within it. His mother was always feeding the birds and animals, while his father and he worked the land—planting, growing, and harvesting on their two acres, living largely self-sufficiently. It was a childhood free from chemicals—no fertilisers, pesticides, or herbicides—just the natural rhythm of organic growing, long before the term was even coined. His father was essentially practising organic gardening before it had a name!
In the 1970s, Sean witnessed his first environmental disaster when Dutch Elm Disease wiped out the ancient elms he’d grown up climbing, swinging in, and living with. That loss left a lasting mark on him, deepening his commitment to protecting nature and preserving the diverse ecosystems he had cherished as a child. After completing his daily chores, Sean would explore the wider countryside, his heart and mind filled with the wonder of the natural world, cementing an idyllic childhood that would fuel his passion for wildlife conservation throughout his life.
Our Journey
Early work found Sean pushing lawnmowers for thousands of miles while employed by a large contract gardening company. However, Sean became increasingly horrified by the sheer volume of chemicals he was required to use in the course of his job, applied for all sorts of purposes, with little regard for nature or plant health. The focus on the commercial imperative to "get the job done" came at the expense of the very ecosystems he valued. It was this disillusionment that pushed Sean to take matters into his own hands. Believing he could do better, he became self-employed and started creating special areas for wildlife in his customers' gardens.
In the 1990s, as trends for decking, patios, and plastic lawns took hold—everything that felt like anathema to him—Sean followed his instincts and founded Noah's Ark Wildlife Gardens. While the business struggled in its early days, Sean’s passion for wildlife thrived. He dedicated himself to further building his knowledge of British fauna, flora, and fungi, reading extensively, experimenting in his own garden, and learning from the world around him.
Thirty Years and Counting
Today, Ark Wildlife has grown to become the UK’s leading independent supplier of bird food, wildlife feed, habitats, and accessories, and continues to be the driving force for positive change. Sean remains at the helm, with the same passion and energy as when he started, guiding the business forward with a deep commitment to sustainability and ethical practices.
We are driven not by profit, but by the belief that every small change makes a big difference for nature. We provide our customers with simple, effective solutions to help wildlife flourish. Being built on our founder’s ethics and values, every product we offer, every partnership we foster, and every garden we help transform is a testament to our unwavering dedication to both people and planet. Because at Ark Wildlife, it’s always been about helping nature thrive, not just today, but for generations to come.
A short history of Ark Wildlife
Ark Wildlife Timeline
1991 – Sean opens Noah’s Ark Wildlife Gardens opens garden landscaping services with an emphasis on native and wildlife friendly species planting schemes.
2001 – Responding to demand, Noah’s Ark Wildlife Gardens launch their own range of carefully selected and blended natural bird feed mixes, under the brand name Ark.
2005 - We remove all nets from peanuts and fat balls for bird safety and the environment, and campaign for a national ban.
2010 - Our founder Sean McMenemy is appointed Food Standards Officer for the National Birdcare Standards Association.
2011 – Introduction of our ‘Return, Reuse & Recycle Scheme’ allowing customers to return all plastics free of charge.
2014 – Independent scientific analysis of all our wildlife foods demonstrates our commitment to excellence.
2018 – UK first. Ark introduce sugar cane plastic packaging for sustainable plastics that are carbon positive, locking in plant waste from food crops.
2021 – Ark Wildlife achieve their goal of supplying all branded goods in paper, cardboard, sugar-cane, or 100% recycled plastic.
The future
It is heartening to know that through the use of bird food we can have a positive influence on bird populations and are now seeing an abundance of birds in UK gardens.
After 35+ years providing natural food and habitats that offer significant benefits to garden wildlife, we look forward to the next 30 years with the same enthusiasm that we started with.
Call us today on freephone 0800 085 4865 to chat about the changes you can make to your garden and become a part of something greater.
