Tag: Landscape Architecture

What if instead of “mitigating” we actually “enhanced” ecology? 

Ecology is defined as the ‘interrelationship of organisms and their environments’. We, by definition as designers, change environments and so it follows that each site we design changes the ecology therein. The word “interrelationship” is also familiar to us. Our studio is founded on relationships which remind us of our connection to all things; The strong, synergetic and sometimes unusual relationships we have with professionals and also the deeply rooted relationships we have with the natural world.

Ecology has always driven our process. It is an integral part of our site analysis and our historic work with ecologists has informed both our design approach and the overall design outcome for our schemes. The trouble is though, that not all projects require ecological input. Landscape architects and garden designers themselves aren’t obligated to consider the ecological value of a site (unless planning or legislation requires them to do so). Because of this, many projects miss out on valuable environmental input.

We believe, that much like a landscape professional should be appointed where a development has an impact on an external space, so too should an ecologist. We believe it is possible to involve ecologists on all projects and the value of doing this to the client, natural environment and to design outcomes could be immense.

Ecologist’s roles are often hamstrung. Reports as part of planning permission often consist of terrestrial and/or aquatic surveys alongside suggestions for mitigating measures. What if, instead of ‘mitigating’ we allowed ecologists to ‘enhance’? Instead of ‘not making worse’, we actually ‘improved’? What if, instead of generic biodiversity improvements which might meet the standardised requirements of biodiversity net gain, the measures taken were site specific and individual?

We have been taking this approach informally for a few years now but as part of our ongoing commitment to the earth, we have forged a partnership with an ecological consultant who now forms part of our Studio 31 team. He is a guide and a compass and is bringing a new layer of knowledge, experience and expertise to our projects.

We are collaborating on the development of an internal standardised assessment of habitat, biodiversity and other ecological aspects. We hope that this can be used to measure both the baseline and enhancements on our projects. We are also rolling this retrospectively across our previous projects to help us ascertain the benefit or learning in terms of our prior informal or outsourced ecological input.

We are using this collaboration to further develop our core ecological philosophy and translate that into design process. These kinds of relationships have previously been compartmentalised and for many professionals their contact with an ecologist on a given project may be paper based only. We are championing, as advocates of ecological design have done for many years, a more holistic and interwoven approach.

The benefits to us as a design practice and to planet earth are obvious but there are benefits from an ecologist perspective also. To gain deeper insight into design concepts and philosophies for a particular project allows the development of an ecological approach in achieving those. Ecologists in this way begin to have real influence and ownership over the design and the ecological outcome of a place.

Relationships are all about how you view them. Landscape and ecology can be tick boxes or hoops to jump through or they can be key and driving factors in the creation of a positive relationship to a site. To have the knowledge and experience of an ecologist on hand is to sidestep the need for client or legislative requirement for this but instead to be led by the natural environment we are designing. It is, we believe, how all projects should be approached and we hope through our learning we can encourage other professionals to begin to value ecology in a similar way.

Image Rebecca Douglas Photography

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This article can also be read in Prolandscaper Magazine.

Valuing Nature and Landscape

The link between nature and health dates back to the middle ages.  References to this link can be found in ancient texts and there now is increasing research beginning to evidence these age-old ideas. This research is importantly formalising something most people already intrinsically know…nature is good for us. We see the beauty in a sunset, we feel our breath return when we walk an untrodden path and we feel stillness descend as we wander in the shade of a forest. We know our bodies were built for the outdoors and we know it makes us feel well in a way few other things do. Why is it then that we place so little value on landscape? How have we come to be so disconnected from nature that we view it as a luxury item; televisions are essential, but plants are a “nice to have”? We need to find a way back from here and it is my belief that ‘health design’ can be part of the answer.

A big barrier to ‘health design’ in relation to landscape is access to information; being able to give clients the knowledge with which to make informed choices. At Studio 31, we have found that people respond positively to evidence. They understand and trust in science and when landscape professionals are able provide solid rationale for design decisions, this facilitates both psychological and financial investment in landscape. This in turn has a ripple effect of creating healthier spaces for people and planet in the longer term.

An example of this is one of our projects, The Pear Tree Centre which was commissioned to support people diagnosed with a life changing illness. As a charity, the budget for both the building and ongoing running costs was fundraised, in its entirety, by a passionate collective of people. The result of this could have been (as is the case with many projects) that the landscape elements were the first to be value engineered. However, the charity saw nature connection as integral to the project’s success and this meant our involvement was commissioned at the project’s inception, despite, at that point, having limited budget allocated to the garden space.

Being involved at this early stage gave us an opportunity to explore the health needs of the people who would be using the centre and subsequently to evidence the health benefits of investment in the landscape for the service users and staff. What followed were presentations to both the trustees and the wider public, discussing the concepts which underpinned our design and how the garden space could support the centre’s aims and objectives in relation to health.

The trustees’ passions for both nature and health were evident, and they launched a separate fundraising campaign specifically aimed at the outdoor space, investing significant resources in their desire to achieve a health focused garden.

We were fortunate to work with such an open minded and forward-thinking panel of trustees to create a space which is demonstrating positive impacts on wellbeing of both centre users and staff. However, ‘health design’ is not yet a conventional starting point for design, even within health projects. To invest in landscape in this way, still feels like ‘thinking outside the box’. We need to move nature from a luxury item to an essential one and responsibility for doing this is on us as professionals to know and understand the research which underpins ‘health design’.  Only then can we begin to translate this into fruitful conversations with clients and together begin creating truly healthy landscapes.

 

Head here to take a look at our Pear Tree Centre Project

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This article can also be read in Prolandscaper Magazine.

What is good design? 

What is design? What is good design? The answers are many and varied but the core of people’s responses is generally “something”. Design means doing something rather than doing nothing.

In a world of social media where months or years’ worth of work is scrutinised through the lens of a single image or caption, we feel pressure to be bolder, bigger and better than the competition. To stand out with a breath-taking concept that ‘wows’ our audience.

I wonder though, is this where perhaps, we are going wrong?

When did doing more become good design? And could doing less, perhaps be a more sustainable approach to our landscapes?

Our starting point for projects at Studio 31 isn’t ‘What can we do?’ It is ‘What do we already have?’ We look at a site and assess its ecology, biodiversity and nature value and think ‘What can we keep?’ and ‘What can we enhance?’

We recently submitted a paragraph 80 home for planning which incorporates no formal gardens at all. The natural ecology of the site comes right up to the house. Animals will graze up to the windows. The land will be managed using regenerative land management practices right up to the envelope of the dwelling. Landscape changes have been minimal and where a change has been made, it’s been carefully considered to enhance the existing ecology and increase biodiversity. The design here is in the land management which will enhance this site irrevocably over decades.

What does it look like on an Instagram photo? Almost as if we have done nothing at all. In reality the time spent designing that landscape far exceeds many other projects. It incorporates hours and hours of careful research, ecological reports, soil testing, design and management planning. We don’t put the before photos on our websites, people don’t see the habitat creation or increases in invertebrate life, bird species or wildflowers. It’s hard to show the value of this work in a single image.

We designed a garden space on a National Nature Reserve. Again, choosing light touch. Choosing plants which reflect the species on the wider reserve and keeping terraces and hard landscape spaces as small as possible. Giving over the site as far as possible to the nature which inhabits the wider reserve and allowing the water which makes that site what it is, to drain through the ground as it should. We allowed the views here to speak for themselves and kept new materials minimal and local. Can we take a single image of its simple, important and nature-led beauty? Not easily.

Nature doesn’t need our egos; it needs our hearts. Client’s don’t always need topiary and expansive terraces, they need thick-legged flower beetles, marbled white butterflies, goldfinches and snakes head fritillaries. We, as professionals, don’t always need to seek to do more, we need to consider quiet, gentle conversations which encourage clients to trust us to do more by doing less. And our Instagram feeds? Well, it’s those that need to be braver, bolder and better in order to tell a different story.

Take a look at a video of our nature reserve design here.

 

Image Rebecca Douglas Photography

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This article can also be read in Prolandscaper Magazine.

Reflections on the year that has been.

It’s January 2022. We made it…You made it.

The past 2 years were, for many, a truly tumultuous time full of uncertainty, isolation and never before navigated challenges. There is, therefore, necessity to take a breath, acknowledge the turning of a page and what it took for many of us to get here. 2022 is, as yet, unwritten and it is my wish that, at least that in some small way, it will be a quieter story and a gentler one. Perhaps that was the purpose of 2021; to draw us back to ourselves, remind us of the simplicity of our basic needs and the needs of the world around us. The necessity for connection, warmth, empathy, gentleness and perhaps most pertinent of all, to remind us of the inextricable value of our health.

The media attention has felt heavy but, the past 2 years have also seen a huge shift in people’s appreciation for the outdoors and the mental and physical relief nature has brought during an extraordinarily difficult time. This shift to connecting with nature echoes our studio ethos and the responsibility design has to meet the health and environmental needs of the end user.

From a healthcare perspective, more and more services are beginning to recognise the intrinsic link between mental and physical health and design consideration of mental health factors into physical health care facilities is beginning to occur.

One such facility is New Fairhaven’s Hospice. Completed in Spring 2020 it provides palliative care services to patients across South Essex. Studio 31 were privileged to design the landscape and were part of an extraordinary project team who understood the impact of landscape on health and the value of nature as part of the therapeutic and support services the hospice could offer.

Early collaboration led to truly landscape focused solutions such as access to semi-private outdoor space designed into each of the 16 in patient rooms. This allows patients to literally spend their days outside if they choose to without the need to travel through communal spaces. It also creates an important indoor-outdoor connection which is rarely found in inpatient settings. Research led us to design a variety of outdoor spaces which met the host of health needs of the users; supporting emotional wellbeing of staff and families as well as patients. These included spaces of refuge for quiet contemplation and social spaces for support and connection. There was heavy focus on behavioural design elements which are often one of the main barriers to connection with nature and are frequently missed in relation to health design. ‘Health design’ is more than just designing a healthy landscape. It is designing buildings, transitional spaces and landscapes themselves in such a way as people use them often, without effort and for the purpose they are intended. The connections between indoor and outdoor that the hospice promotes were designed to encourage engagement with the landscape, not just occasionally, but regularly in the day to day lives of the patients, families and staff.

This regular connection with nature is something we have seen growing throughout the wider population in the past 24 months. It is my hope that this has enabled people to begin to understand the positive impacts of nature on their health and begin to find ways to bring nature into their daily routine.

This year may, as yet be unwritten but hopefully nature can be part of the next chapter.

Head here to watch a video of our New Fairhaven Project.

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This article can also be read in Prolandscaper Magazine.

The Urban Birding, Lost Words Spell Songs and Land in our Names.

Individuals, organisations and events which inspire us, give us hope or drive us to make/create change. We hope to share more of these over the coming months.

Someone to Follow

David Lindo has been named as the 7^th most influential person in wildlife by BBC Wildlife Magazine. Where there is a tendency to assume that nature can only be seen in the rural countryside, David challenges this by advocating for the vivid and brilliant array of bird life that can be found in urban settings. With so much depending on human connection with nature including health and climate change, David is a beacon of hope. I start and end most days with a pair of binoculars out of my small terrace house window and this morning was graced with a great spotted woodpecker for my trouble. His two blogs are well worth a visit particularly to see the world through the eyes of urban birders old and young. And with the need for systemic change around construction, this article was particularly poignant for us; “The Benefits of Constructing Buildings with Spaces for Nature”. We more recently still, discovered his extraordinary Instagram account so do follow him, go on a tour or watch him speak. He demonstrates that it is possible to both live in an urban setting and be deeply connected to the natural world.

Something to Watch

Katie had the privilege of seeing the first ever live performance of The Lost Words ensemble back in 2019 and she maintains it was the most moving musical performance she has ever seen. Last week, the team behind The Lost Words and Spell Songs books, including illustrator Jackie Morris and writer Robert Macfarlane as well as a mind-blowingly talented cast of folk musicians performed at the Natural History Museum. In doing so they raised over £50,000 for the Urban Nature Project and the recording is online until 31^st May to view whilst some of Jackie’s original artwork is also auctioned for the cause. The Urban Nature Project and Lost Words are a synergetic partnership with one aiming to bring back nature into our cities and the other to bring back words from nature into our vocabulary. It was David Attenborough who said, “No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced”. This is two hours of your life; you will not regret dedicating to the pursuit of nature.

Someone to Support.

Land in our names is a grass roots Black-led collective addressing “land justice as a centre point for issues around food insecurity, health inequalities, environmental injustice and widespread disconnect from nature.” It aims to disrupt oppressive land dynamics relating to BPOC communities in Britain and works to “transform the current narrative around land in Britain and how it relates to intersections of race, gender and class for systemic change.” We’ve quoted this statistic before, but it needs repeating that BAME communities are 60% less likely to be able to access green space and natural environments than their white counterparts (Natural England). If you are a person of black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) origin you are more than twice as likely as a white person to live in areas in England that are most deprived of green space. Almost 40% of people of BAME backgrounds live in England’s most green space-deprived neighbourhoods, compared to 14% of white people (Friends of the Earth). We need land justice to create sustainable food systems, racial justice, climate justice and eliminate health inequalities. Watch this video to learn more about the relationship between Land and race in the UK, follow them on Instagram and if you have it in your means, donate here to support the vital work they are doing.

 

A charity supporting well-being through relationship with nature. 

Each year, instead of sending Christmas gifts to our clients and partners we give a small donation to a charity of our choice which fits with our values around nature connection, health and environment. To date, we have supported Oxfam’s Growing, Providing, Together Beating Hunger project, The Garden Classroom, and The Pear Tree Centre. This year that charity is Wild in the City and here’s why we chose them.

Founded in 2013, Wild in the City supports well-being through relationship with nature. They work from natural settings and offer experiences in hiking, woodland living skills, natural history and ecotherapy.

In the UK by 2030 over 90% of the population will live in urban areas. People are increasingly becoming disconnected from nature and this is having wide reaching global consequences. People of colour are disproportionately affected by this disconnection from nature including detrimental impacts in terms of health, environment and economy.

“The environmental sector has traditionally taken the view that people of colour are not interested in nature or that it isn’t within their culture” leading to “black and Asian people being underrepresented within environmental organisations and within nature-based activities”

The barriers to nature connection for people of colour are huge and varied and Wild in the City is working to overcome these through “increasing black leadership in nature, addressing barriers and negative experiences, increasing a sense of belonging, creating a community of people of colour to enjoy nature with and providing therapeutic re-engagement”.

An oral and direct contact with nature in an increasingly urban world is absolutely essential in protecting both the health of the planet and the health of people who reside on this earth. We need to be a part of nature, not apart from it. Wild in the City is working to connect those who have the least access to green space with nature in the deepest and most empowering ways.

We chose Wild in the City as this year’s charity as they represent Studio 31’s passion for connecting all communities with nature, promoting the health and therapeutic value of the natural world and promoting social justice. Wild in the City research race and inclusion within the environmental field and human-nature relationships and are currently researching the role that parks and open spaces have played within our lockdown experience. Do take their survey here.

Much of the above information is taken from the Wild in the City website and there is a wealth of information there to explore. We recommend reading Covid-19 and the race factor in access to green space by Beth Collier as well as their 2017 impact report. Do also look into their research and consultancy services, courses, programmes, Black Nature Narratives Podcast and most importantly, if it is within your means, donate to support the work they do.

Sending wishes of peace and health for the New Year

All the Team at Studio 31

 

Photo by Lucas Ludwig

 

Get help and advice to kick start your dream home project and support an incredible charity at the same time.

Fancy a 1:1 consultation with a top architect, landscape architect or designer? 

Azuko is an incredible charity with a dream of a just world, in which every person enjoys the right to dignified living conditions. Led by architect Jo Ashbridge, their mission is to design with disadvantaged communities and empower them to create the world they dream of. The fact is that good design, saves lives but access to that design or the funds to build those designs, for many is out of reach. 736 million people remain in extreme poverty, today. Design can provide solutions to the challenges they face and that’s where Azuko come in. They really are an exceptional charity (and we know because we have met many of the extraordinary people who run it and observe the impact of the ambitious projects they run).

But Azuko need your help to raise vital funds to build a new playground for a primary school in northwest Bangladesh. Those who follow Studio 31 will understand the vital importance of children having a safe outdoor space to play and connect with each other and with nature. Our children have the right to play but for many that right is a privilege. All children deserve that right and we want to help Azuko achieve that goal. 

Whether you are building your dream home, dreaming of your future garden or need some support with graphic design, you can book a 1:1 consultation through their site with a range of super-talented designers. These designers include Jo Ashbridge herself, our Studio 31 Director Edward Flaxman, the very talented architect Amos Goldreich and graphic designer Mark Brookes to name but a few. You donate, you get a consultation with your dream designer and Azuko get to help the people who need it most. 

What’s more 1st-8th December is The Big Give Christmas Challenge. The UK’s largest match funding campaign, which runs from 1-8 December in 2020. AzuKo has been allocated a ‘matching pot’ to double donations made by our supporters. Which means, one donation, twice the impact. Head to their website to take a look at the designers and book a consultation. 

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A support directory; where to ask for help. 

Here at Studio 31, we often discuss the positive impacts of nature on health and wellbeing both physical and mental and for us, health is rooted in nature but… there are times when nature alone just isn’t enough. 2020 has been an extraordinarily tough year for many people, for many, many reasons. There have been moves forward including people’s growing connection with nature and understanding of the many benefits it has on our health and wellbeing. But there have also been overwhelming hardships; periods of isolation, disconnection and ill health. For many there have been impacts on businesses and livelihoods, anxieties in relation to loved ones and changes to routine and daily lives. I have seen many friends, family members and colleagues in the industry struggle to navigate this difficult time and there are few people upon whom this year hasn’t taken its toll.

I was recently asked to take part in the Futurescapes “Mental Health at Work “panel (a link to a recording of the panel can be found here) and one of the questions to be asked was “What one piece of advice would you give to someone struggling with their mental health?” Without hesitation, I decided mine would be… Ask for help.

The trouble is, asking for help is hard. For some, it is prohibitively hard. When I thought about this advice, it took me back to my early career in mental health where I recognised quite quickly that in addition to the multitude of social and emotional reasons which prevent people asking for help, there are also very real practical barriers. The most obvious ones being “Where do I ask for help?” and “How do I ask for help?”.

This blog is an answer to those questions. Below is a kind of directory, a list of organisations, places and people you can ask for help and a very brief idea of what support you can expect from them. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it is a starting point. Please do comment or contact me if you feel there are important people missing and I will add them. Some of these pertain purely to employment or horticulture (and I have made this clear) but the majority are access for all. Every one of these organisations appears on our mental health policy at work and every single employee has a copy of this policy. I hope that in reading this some employers may add a few of these to theirs.

Two final thoughts; I don’t believe that in sharing this list, I have made asking for help very much easier. Asking for help IS hard. The only thing I can offer is to say that, sometimes… it is also necessary. And to let you know this…whoever you are, whatever you’re feeling…YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Mental Health Support Services UK Only.

IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies).Evidence based, talking therapies. Mostly cognitive behavioural focussed therapies. Referral to this service is based on the area to which the employee lives. Self-referrals are welcomed and this service can also be accessed via your GP. Find your local IAPT service here: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-services/Psychological%20therapies%20(IAPT)/LocationSearch/10008

Samaritans. Telephone: 116 123 – Talking and Listening service 24 hours a day. You can also email, write a letter and use the self-help app. This is a warm, welcoming listening ear for, in their words, “anyone who needs someone”. This is not a therapy service. https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

Perennial. Free confidential advice, support and financial assistance to people of all ages, working in or retired from horticulture. This includes financial advice, a free legal helpline and an online mental wellbeing community. https://perennial.org.uk/home/ways-we-can-help/

Reemploy Mental Health Support Service. Nine months work-focussed mental health support. To be eligible for this service, individuals need to be in permanent or temporary employment and have a mental health condition (diagnosed or undiagnosed) that has resulted in workplace absence or is causing difficulties to remain in work. https://www.remploy.co.uk/about-us/current-programmes/access-work-mental-health-support-service

Togetherall. (Formerly The Big White Wall) Anonymous service to connect with others experiencing depression and anxiety. Courses, Journals, Support and Advice. Focussed on peer support but monitored by professionals. https://togetherall.com/en-gb/

MIND. Mental Health Charity offering a wealth of information, support and advice. https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/

Time to Change. A social movement changing the way we think about mental health problems. Provide support, advice, guidance about mental health problems, challenging stigma and much more. https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/about-mental-health

BACP Find a Therapist Directory and/or Counselling Directory. Directories where employees may be able to find private therapists and counsellors. This would be at your own cost but some therapists do offer reduced rates for low income.

https://www.bacp.co.uk/search/Therapists

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/?gclid=CjwKCAiA4o79BRBvEiwAjteoYLzfH6oPvSpAx4seXZifG4iT8YfW7lssNDymUOJRfiUXIDDhGWthWRoCdt0QAvD_BwE

Citizens Advice (Practical Support). It may be that practical or financial issues are causing mental distress, Citizens Advice offer a range of practical support services which are useful in supporting with housing, financial, work and other issues https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

ACAS (Employment Support). It may be a work issue is contributing to poor mental health. ACAS offer free, impartial advice on workplace rules, rights and best practice. They also offer training and dispute resolution. https://www.acas.org.uk/

GP. Anyone is able to access confidential mental health support/referral via their GP both therapeutic and pharmacological.

A and E. If you are in crisis with your mental health, this is no different to a crisis with your physical health. If you need urgent or immediate support, you can attend your local A and E department where you will be offered help and support.

If you are in crisis, please talk to someone. Please attend Accident and Emergency, contact your GP (daytime), telephone the Samaritans or call an ambulance. If you don’t feel able to contact a professional, please contact a trusted friend or family member and perhaps ask them to support you to get in touch with a support service like the ones above. It matters less who you ask, more just that you ask someone. You are not alone.

With the exception of GP, these crisis services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

Photo by Jeremy Gallman

Landscape and Nature-based Resources. 

As an ethical practice with strong moral stances on topics like climate change, wellbeing at work, nature connection and health, we are always looking for ways to improve our practice. We are a collection of passionate individuals striving to do things differently, constantly trying to better our relationships with climate, health and landscape and looking for ways to improve both ourselves and our practice.

The Black Lives Matter movement being brought to global attention in the past few weeks has brought our own focus and attention to the topic of racial justice within both our own small practice and also the wider landscape industry. It is neither right, nor acceptable that it is only now, our focus has been directed there but now that it is, it is not our intention to look away.

We watched this video by Light Watkins a couple of weeks ago which talks of a conversation with a meditation student in one of his classes where she asked why no-one had created a directory of meditation teachers and Light’s response was “because you haven’t created one yet”. These past weeks, we have googled, researched, read, been signposted to innumerable resources which we are slowly working our way through (each directing us to another) and beginning, what I suspect will be a lifelong journey in relation to racism and anti-racism both personally and specifically within the realms of landscape architecture, landscape, nature, business and organisational management and beyond. Finding that business and landscape specific resources are few, sporadic and difficult to find (and with Light’s video in our minds), we have been compelled to collate just some of these resources here.

We hope that those working within landscape, nature, the built environment or even running their own unrelated small practices may find these useful and may lead to a conversation where individuals and/or organisations may also share further resources such  as articles, papers, journals, podcasts, books and organisations whose voices and education are important in creating anti-racist landscape and nature-based organisations and industries.

It is the voices of those contained within these resources who will educate and guide the way to creating racially just practices, industries, economies and governments, but it is our responsibility to first learn, then act to create a better and anti-racist world.

Landscape Architecture

Landscape Architects Network (Land 8).  Webinar and Q and Equity, Justice and Landscape. The built environment is going through a rapid re-examination of its role in enabling or inhibiting social equity and racial justice. How could this impact how landscape architects are taught and how they practice? How could we encode equity and justice into our work?

Black Landscapes Matter. An article by Kofi Boone (Professor of Landscape Architecture) published in issue 06 of Ground Up Journal initially and subsequently on the World Landscape Architect Blog.

Decolonizing Design: Black Narratives in Landscape Architecture– A recorded presentation from the ASLA library of recorded presentations and education sessions.

The Urban Studio. Expanding how students of color are educated and engaged around design. The mission of the Urban Studio is ‘to advance design thinking for equitable + sustainable urbanism.’ As designers of color working in communities of color, our goal is simple, to green cities for all people.

Nature and the Environment

Diverse Green – Looks at diversity within environmental organisations.

The racial composition in environmental organizations and agencies has not broken the 12 percent to 16 percent “green ceiling” that has been in place for decades. […] Confidential interviews with environmental professionals and survey data highlight alienation and “unconscious bias” as factors hampering recruitment and retention of talented people of color. […] The Result: An overwhelmingly white “Green Insiders’ Club.

An article by Somini Sengupta compiling a list of resources, voices and articles on the link between the environment and racism.

Dr Ayana Elizabeth Johnson– Marine Biologist. “For conservation to be sustainable, it can’t be just about doing the actual conservation work, but doing it in a way that works for people and communities” “I need you to understand our racial inequality crisis is intertwined with our climate crisis”

Just one article by Dr Ayana Johnson (Above) “People of color disproportionately bear climate impacts, from storms to heat waves to pollution. Fossil-fueled power plants and refineries are disproportionately located in black neighborhoods, leading to poor air quality and putting people at higher risk for coronavirus.”

Black Faces White Spaces; Reimagining the Relationships of African Americans to the Great Outdoors by Carolyn Finney [BOOK]

The Willowherb Review– A digital platform to celebrate and bolster nature writing by emerging and established writers of colour.

People of colour in environmental and climate justice. Links to individuals, research, work and organisations who understand the intrinsic link between climate and social justice.

WE ACT. Combating environmental racism and building healthy communities for people of color since 1988.

Business Training and Education

JUST A program of transparency in relation to social justice and social equity within your organisation.

Design and Racism

Where are the Black Designers is an initiative which aims to give a platform to creatives of color. By connecting designers, educators, and creative leaders we hope to start a dialogue about change in and out of the design industry.

Built Environment

Power Out of Restriction (POoR) Collective is a social enterprise which aims to focus on the development of communities within the built environment. We believe in the power of community and aim to help those who are often under-represented. Through teaching, knowledge sharing and workshops we aim to bridge the gap between communities and bring together a wealth of demographics, cultures and social classes.

Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. We believe that architecture as a profession and the built environment that surrounds us should be designed by the people who live in it, celebrating and giving voice to the rich and diverse cultural heritage of people from every background. “only 10% of apprentices in England are from Black, Asian and minority ethinic backgrounds although 25% of applicants come from those backgrounds”. They have also launched the Architecture Race Diversity Survey in partnership with Architects Journal.

The NAACP Centring equity in the sustainable building sector. “Communities of color and low-income communities bear the brunt of the impacts of unhealthy, energy-inefficient, and disaster-vulnerable buildings”

Donate

Black Land and Spatial Justice Fund – This fund has been developed to redistribute resources, including finance and knowledge, engaging in decolonial frameworks and collective organising to redefine our relationships to land and space.

It is possible (and important) also to donate to many of the organisations above including: The POor Collective, Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, WE ACT and The Urban Studio.

Photo Credit : Philippe Bout https://unsplash.com/@flipboo

How we can use nature to support our health and wellbeing at such a challenging time.

Those who follow Studio 31 will know that our absolute passion is for all things health and my background being in mental health has compelled me to put out a blog at this time

At all usual times of struggle, here at Studio 31, it is our normal practice to turn to nature for the answers. We turn to nature for support, guidance and for health and we use research led design for health within our work and promote the intrinsic link between health and nature. Nature has restorative, health promoting and therapeutic powers. It is holistic, promotes active lifestyles and is linked with a whole range of positive health outcomes both physical and mental. What then happens if we (rightly) are asked to stay at home? What if we are unable to connect with this vital resource because we are (rightly) afraid our health may be more greatly compromised, or we may put at risk those more vulnerable than ourselves? Then, as with all things, we need to adapt. Nature still holds many of the answers and all of the same benefits, we just need to think differently and more creatively about how we engage with its healing powers.

First, we must, without doubt follow the government guidance. We must do as medical professionals are asking and stay at home. We must distance ourselves from others especially those who are vulnerable, and we must not put others at risk.

But second, we must look after our own health, both mental and physical. I do not know a single person whose mood or mental health has not been impacted by the current situation for reasons many and varied. Nature is only one of the answers but it’s one that we know best. We know that when people are separate from nature their health outcomes are poorer. We know that they are likely to lead more sedentary lifestyles and that those are linked with poor health outcomes too. We also know that poverty is linked with poor health outcomes and the current economic climate is likely to be affecting people’s health on many fronts.

Living in a hope filled world as I do, I am nothing short of inspired by the creative ideas across social media people are using to connect and support neighbours, family, friends and strangers at this time and I wanted to add our nature related thoughts to how you can look after your health at what is a very strange and challenging time.

It is our hope that some of the ideas below will inspire people to engage more fully with nature during this period and reap the powerful benefits of this connection.

1. If you are fortunate enough have a garden, use it. Be it balcony, square of lawn or large estate. Plant it, do yoga in it, read in it, work in it, walk circles around it, plunge your fingers into the soil, weed the beds, mow the lawn, kick a football, make a treasure hunt through the plants with your kids. Wrap yourself in coat and hat and do the things you would normally do inside, outside- eat, sing, dance, play.

 

2. If you do not have a garden; plant. Plant pots of strawberries and put them outside your front door, plant houseplants and scatter them around your flat, plant vegetables in trays, hang window boxes, plant herbs and cover your window sills, plant cress heads in eggshells, runner beans in loo rolls. Plant, grow, plant.

 

3. Sit by the window. There is research which links positive health outcomes with simply viewing onto nature. This applies to health centres, places of work, everywhere. If you can see nature, it is better for you. Move your chairs and tables, pile up cushions to create a makeshift window seat. Sit with your kids on the windowsill and count birds passing outside. Connect your inside with the outside in whatever way you can.

 

4. Get outside. If it’s safe to do so, if you can socially distance yourself from others. If you can be alone, get outside. Stay a safe distance from others but try to engage with nature in whatever way you can. When you need to get food, walk there. Walk past that big old oak tree or that familiar street tree. If you’re queuing outside a supermarket; look up at the sky not down at your phone, watch the clouds passing for a moment, feel the sun on your face. Stay home yes but if you need to go out (for food, medicines, exercise), then be out, engage with even the smallest glimpses of nature on your journeys.

 

5. Exercise, outdoors if possible – There are a wealth of online exercise videos and classes being run for free. Yoga is great for body and mind and doesn’t take up much space. Exercise has huge health benefits and exercise in nature even more so, so if you can do it in your garden or by an open window so much the better.

 

6. Open the windows. Believe it or not, most of the pollutants we inhale, we will inhale indoors. This is because, as a rule, our homes are poorly ventilated, and we spend most of our time in them. Let fresh air in when you can, as often as you can. Be mindful too that we are still in colder times of year so be sensible to protect those who are vulnerable or unwell. Keep them warm and safe but let air into your home as much as you can.

 

7. Do nature-based activities. There are many online resources from guided nature meditations to nature documentaries to nature-based tutorials. Read nature books, paint nature pictures. Forage for stinging nettles and make nettle soup. For the small (or grown up) people in your life, leave your outside light on then get up early and see what moth visitors you have. Collect sticks, feathers, herbs and leaves and make some nature paint brushes. Press leaves in books, get some binoculars and spot birds and other wildlife from your windows. Watch the nature cams linked from places like Essex Wildlife Trust, watch Chris Packham’s daily nature talks. Talk it, live it, feel it.

 

A couple of weekends ago, before the restrictions and school closures came into full force, I travelled as I often do, to Hatfield Forest. I was surprised to see both car parks full and a queue to get in. I think we intrinsically know nature is a safe space, nature is good for us. So, we had retreated there where we could be together but apart, where we could be safe and still, where the kids could run free and we could breathe. It was heartening to see people there, to see them retreat to nature at a time like this. Things have changed a little since then and it isn’t the right message to send you into the wild but there are things you can do to engage with nature.

Many of us are isolated at home away from our usual routines and the people we love. Many others are working long hours and shifts in the service of others. All of us need nature more than ever. All our routines are changing from children to adults so why not take a moment to make sure nature and health safely remain a part of yours. We would love to hear how you are doing this so we can share these ideas with others too.

Sending love and nature connection into this invisible ether.

 

Photo by Annie Spratt