What's happening with the knitted bees of Tooting? - Update #2 on our partnership project with CARAS

We've enjoyed and learned so much from our partnership project with CARAS which has been running since spring 2015.
Here's Update #2 on one more of the project strands - this one involving the CARAS Women's Group for refugees and asylum-seekers. We shared Update #1 a fortnight ago - read it here.

The knitted honeybees of Tooting
It's not often you can ask "what’s happening in the world of Tooting’s knitted & crocheted bees?" We’ve been busy since spring 2018 on a fascinating quest that started with our beekeeper friend Richard who is Chair of the London Beekepers Association asking "Do you know anyone who could make some model bees as teaching aids? Toy bees available online are all hopelessly inaccurate...we need about 50..."
I immediately said "yes!" and a new project was born...which has developed to include the CARAS Family Day and Women's Group, a wonderful local group of knitters, beekepers and TTT.

It's been so moving to us all that this novel partnership has come together: local craftspeople with experience and skill plus refugee women with skills and desire to create plus our own TTT colleagues. We've got together for the interest and challenge, in order to work with a London-wide group's own fascinating project in an imaginative way.

Attaching wings and legs at the CARAS Women's Group

Richard and the LBKA are developing participative classes for schools. The bee models would need to have the correct number of legs (6), eyes (5) and wings (4), with antennae (2) in just the right place on their heads ("not like antlers and not like whiskers"), triangular downward-facing heads, a waist: all giving the general look of a honeybee with correct details while also being imaginative prompts for LBKA workshops. The bees should definitely not have cartoon smiles.

All welcome to the Pollinator Paths Wandsworth Project Celebration, Sat 11th November

We're very pleased to invite everyone who loves urban gardening with insects and other wildlife in mind to our free Pollinator Paths Wandsworth Project Harvest Celebration. This is a celebration sharing ideas, experience, fun, citizen science and community.

Here's the basic info about the project which has been running all year, linking together dozens of local gardeners and four community gardens in the borough and led by the London Sustainability Exchange.

We'll be thanking participants, sharing experience, enjoying workshops and other fun activities, networking and celebrating.


We're also welcoming anyone - gardener, community garden or other group - who might like to join a future project aimed at enhancing London's green spaces and biodiversity.

Project methods will always be accessible, encouraging people to grow pollinator-friendly plants in gardens, planters or balconies.


Plenty for families, friends and neighbours of all ages to do:

• Enjoy the 'Your Local Insects Need Your Love' workshop 
• Marvel at 'Worm Composting For Salads and Herbs Indoors'
• Design and build Plastic Bottle Ladybird Houses to take home
• Play 'Match the Pollinators to their Plants'
• Design and make Insect Badges to wear with pride
• Gasp at the Pollinator Paths project map

Date: Saturday 11th November 2017
Venue: The Penfold Centre, 1 Neville Gill Close, SW18 4TJ. The venue is right in the middle of the borough, on the west side of Southside Shopping Centre facing King George's Park.
Timing: 1:00pm to 4:00pm


Delicious snacks and drinks provided

Download the Harvest Celebration invitation and venue map here 

Free entry: please register online here

For more info: contact us by email here

All welcome!

Design Workshops for Pollinator Paths Wandsworth project went well - thanks to all!

Twenty people joined in this partnership project's Design Workshops held on 10 & 11 March: connecting, analysing, sharing, debating.

We did just what we needed to do. We were a mixed group of experts, the interested and novices navigating explanations, challenges, concentration, humour and insights:

We analysed the diverse settings that local gardeners are using - from back gardens to paved patios to balconies.

We explored the potential benefits to pollinators
"Would the planting make a difference to individual targeted species or should we focus on a broad group of pollinators?"

We shared our own knowledge and experience about the pollinating plants to select for the different settings - and we found new resources too.

We met new colleagues and connected across the borough  "I never knew there were so many other people locally who are interested in the same things as me..."




We looked forward at the shape of the project, and some new opportunities - for example "shall we include making the planting containers using re-purposed materials?"

We finished the second workshop feeling optimistic together about the project, with plenty of homework from the 2 afternoons and much to plan.

Thanks to all including the visiting experts, plus Lizzy and Hannah from London Sustainability Forum for facilitating.




The next formal event is the distribution of plants in May at the hub gardens - accompanied by creative and fun activities as part of the Wandsworth Fringe.
Before then we will be reaching out to find gardeners who want to take part. Please email us anytime if you would like to join in.

All welcome to join the Pollinator Paths Wandsworth Facebook page for info and updates.
Or email Charles at TTT to get involved.

Pollinator Paths Wandsworth - Design Workshops Friday 10th & Saturday 11th March

Are you looking forward to gardening for wildlife in 2017?
We recently announced the exciting new Pollinator Paths Wandsworth project, and we've been posting updates on Facebook and tweeting.

The next step is to run the two free Design Workshops this week  One this Friday, one on Saturday. This is where the discussion will take place about what insects the project will aim to benefit, and therefore what plants to recommend to encourage them. And more about plant habitats and microclimates.

The workshops are not identical - there will be a flow over the two days, and they will also work as stand-alone events. All welcome!

Once 'beneficiary bugs' (actually, probably moths and a bee species) and forage plants are agreed, then the later process of enlisting local people to grow them on and observe can start. Plant distribution will be May 21st in the Tooting Community Garden (and at other local gardens on other weekends). We hope that lots of novice and expert gardeners will to be involved over the summer! 

Here's the flyer including info with the Design Workshops at the top:

Tooting Workshop timings and location:
2:00 - 5:00 pm on Friday 10th March at Mushkil Aasaan, 222 Upper Tooting Road SW17 7EW

Wandsworth Workshop timings and location:
2:00 - 5:00 on Saturday 11th March at Penfold Centre, Neville Gill Close, Wandsworth SW18 4TJ

And the poster for the whole project:

We look forward to seeing you at the design workshops - let us know if you are coming by signing up here.  

All welcome!

Pollinator Paths Wandsworth - a new project for 2017 linking gardeners across the borough to experiment with planting that benefits insects

This is a new and imaginative project that is being launched now and will run throughout 2017.

Pollinator Paths Wandsworth is all about encouraging local gardeners to establish small patches as wildlife havens. Several community gardens are involved, so there will be plenty of support. It's going to be a good project to strengthen growing links across the borough.

We'll encourage many gardeners to grow selected varieties of plants which in turn are good forage for insects.
Spinach moth image by Roy Leverton, Butterfly Conservation.


We're mixing growing with citizen science: we'll research the 'microclimates' of London plots, balconies and windowboxes both for growing and for insects, we'll share the results and we'll take part in a fascinating and fun practical experiment together.

Individuals, families, schools can get involved - anyone with a plot even if it's small - and beginners are welcome as we'll share all the how-tos.

Why benefit insects? Maybe it sounds backwards to plant for the benefit of insects, but suitable habitat and forage are both reducing across London. Click here for the flyer.

Tooting Green Drinks! Roll up! Roll Up!

Lovely Green Drinks in Tooting last night at The Selkirk, thanks for hosting! 

We got to know the London National Park City initiative better and asked how we would raise London's green cover from 48% (current) to 51%???? Our answer is..., Parklets! Green up the base of trees, hand over 1 car parking space to green infrastructure! Guerrilla Garden where you can! Turn the small spaces green, lobby the council to use http://www.frontyardcompany.co.uk/products/plantlock.html...

So... where would YOU create a Parklet?

We launched Green Book Club! Whoop! Want to join in? We have 2 articles to read which will be part of the discussion at the next Tooting Green Drinks: 

• Is talk about it the most important thing we can do about climate change?

https://thinkprogress.org/end-climate-silence-cbe439a31a8e…

And...

• After plastic bag tax what should we tax next?

https://www.theguardian.com/…/six-billion-plastic-bags-cant…

So... How could Green Book Club work best for you?? Online discussion? Articles? Youtube vids and TEDtalks? Books?

AND... we talked about a programme of short, informal talks in the new year - watch this space for announcements on that.

So... who would you like to come to Tooting Green Drinks to give short talks? What themes could we cover?

AND!!!! We talked up Dipa's secret, tasty idea... but you really will have to wait to hear more about that one... yum!

Green Drinks is an International idea to create informal spaces for discussion and getting to know like minded people in your area. www.greendrinks.org

We host a Tooting Green Drinks on the third Wednesday of every month at The Selkirk Pub, 60 Selkirk Street, SW17 0ES between 7.30pm and 9.30pm

Two inspiring & successful sustainability projects!

Sharing two inspiring projects! 
Both projects aim to demonstrate and create something that is beautiful and functional, creating results which please people and show that sustainability is achievable and attractive now.

One is in Tooting: a front garden restoration that takes into account affordability and biodiversity.
One is north London-based: an bamboo bicycle enterprise which is imaginative and practical.

Tooting Front Garden Restoration
The project has been a partnership between a housing association, residents, project leader and a professional team including Community Gardener Rose deFalbe. The intention was to carry out the restoration in a way that is participatory, affordable, adaptable, biodiverse and with zero environmental footprint. There's a full description of the project downloadable here.
Here's the result photographed earlier this week. 37 Manville Road - go and have a look as it's a beautiful sight!

In April the restoration was Commended at the Wandsworth Design Awards. Here's the team in front of their display with the Mayor of Wandsworth who gave out the awards.
Congratulations!


Bamboo Bicycle Club
Engineer James Marr has established this business designing cycle frames out of bamboo (imported at the moment) and hemp (grown in Yorkshire). All the details online here.

A unique element is that BBC sells no finished bikes at all: the new owners and riders make the frames and fit out the bikes themselves. James want to offer cycles that are sustainable, recyclable and designed collaboratively according to need.
As a consumer, the maker-rider is in charge and makes all the decisions. Each maker practices or learns new skills.

Over 200 have been designed and built in all shapes and sizes (look at their Hall of Frames) - either from kits at home or on weekend courses where the output is a bamboo cycle frame that you then fit out with the drive train, wheels, handlebars, etc. Track bikes, tandems, balance bikes...and a new project in Africa where farmers will make their own bikes that can each carry 100kg.

'Bringing Nature Closer to Home': Wildlife Gardening Forum November 2015

'Bringing Nature Closer to Home' is the tagline of the Wildlife Gardening Forum, which held its tenth anniversary meeting yesterday at the Natural History Museum in London.

Several of us from Tooting and TTT attended - along with 80 other gardeners, enterprises, government agencies, charities and community groups. It's always a stimulating day (available to all; the Forum has 800+ members now).
Anyone can use the Forum's rich resources at www.wlgf.org/
Forum meetings are held twice a year and give us a valuable chance to hear practical ideas from across the UK, learn about brand new research and discuss key topics with experts and practitioners - in sessions or over coffee.

I've found there has always been learning to bring home to Tooting from these Forum meetings. 

Plus practical things to do - here is a citizen science survey that will let us contribute to earthworm research (ie 'soil ecosytem services').

Leo's Garden: an oasis tucked above Tooting

Tooting has a new and delightful asset!

 

A new garden balcony for all the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known). Leo was Facilities Manager at the Tooting campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. Leo’s Garden is a University and College Union initiative and was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre.

Angie raising a fizzy apple juice as a toast to Leo's memory

Spring bulbs were planted later today in memory of Leo, adding to the planting done over spring and summer this year - all funded by the volunteers themselves. As well as a memorial to Leo, the garden is consciously about health and safety - creating an attractive place for any college staff to boost their wellbeing during a busy day. 

Meet & Make Thursday 8th October