These are a series of works they called Future Gardens that began in 1995, with the Garden of Hot Winds and Warms Rains. The concept of Future Gardens is that every place that has survived heat and drought in its past has present and historical plant species in its history and present that can survive in a heat-stressed future. Local botanists can collect such species, propagate them, and generate the scaffolding for more rapid regeneration of local ecosystems as warming occurs. 

These clusters of species, when propagated in Future Gardens then act as educational scientific experiments, works of art, public gardens and nursery beds of future plant ensembles that have the capacity to regenerate heat-stressed ecosystems far more rapidly than the life web can unassisted.

Walking Forest looks back to the collective actions of the Suffragettes who stood for radical democratic change and brings the natural world into the political frame where suffragettes placed women 100 years earlier. It looks forward to the next 100 years when articulating and standing up together for the well-being of Earth is key to planetary survival.

Chris is a Researcher and award winning Producer who lectures at Gray's School of Art. The focus of his work is on how artists contribute to public life, in particular through environmental and ecological engagement. Full profile and outputs here https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/person/74880/chris-fremantle

chris.fremantle.org

ecoartscotland.net

Walking Publics/Walking Art: Walking, Wellbeing & Community During COVID-19 www.walkcreate.org

https://www.rachelclive.com/

https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/cca/staff/rachelclive/

I am an ecologist and environmental activist from Colombia, with a wide range of interests from plant ecology, community-based conservation and incorporating interdisciplinary methods to build climate resilience and social cohesion. I’ve co-developed projects that work with communities and people from marginalised backgrounds aiming to explore ways in which existing skills in the community can be harnessed to re(connect) people with the landscapes they call home. Forest Bound is an example of such project.

I worked as a Plant Ecologist at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), and I’m now based at University College London (UCL) where I’m doing a Masters in Anthropology, Environment and Development.

www.centerforforcemajeure.org

www.livingforests.org

https://allosphere.ucsb.edu/research/sensorium/

Alison holds an MLitt in Art Writing (2019) from GSA and a BA (hons) in Art and Philosophy (2014) from DJCAD.

Her work driven by film, performance and writing practices, and draws on encounters with weather, land, and the idea of the commons from an everyday, situated level. She has worked in myriad roles in arts institutions in Scotland, and often works with other artists on collaborative projects.

She continues to work on a Creative Scotland funded project ‘After Glass’, with Rachel McBrinn, and is Secretary to the Board of GENERATOR Projects. 

'Congenial Soils and Favourable Situations', 2022. An artist film by Alison Scott and Rachel McBrinn, commissioned by Cove Park and ACT (Argyll and the Isles Coast & Countryside Trust), who together form the Argyll Climate Beacon

https://alison-scott.co.uk/Congenial-Soils-and-Favourable-Situations

'Held in Common Good: A Matter of Precedents', Collective, 2023. A research project and resource on the ‘common good’ created by artist, educator, and writer Annette Krauss with producer Frances Stacey and artist researcher Alison Scott.

https://www.collective-edinburgh.art/programmes/held-in-common-good

'Are You Going My Way?' producer and writer for the film by Rachel McBrinn, 2023, commissioned by Rhubaba. The introductory essay, Space Left Over After Planning, can be read here on MAP Magazine: https://mapmagazine.co.uk/space-left-over-after-planning

'Ditto, ditto, ditto' 2021. A solo exhibition by Alison Scott at Collective, Edinburgh, as part of the Satellites Programme and culmination of the Associate Producer role. https://alison-scott.co.uk/ditto-ditto-ditto

CRUDE: a group exhibition curated by Rachel Grant, with Ashanti Harris, Shane Strachan, and Alison Scott, held at the Look Again Project Space in Aberdeen, 2021.

https://alison-scott.co.uk/CRUDE

His role at Creative Carbon Scotland involves running culture/SHIFT projects including Climate Beacons, carrying out research, advising and supporting artistic and sustainability practitioners, and developing collaborative projects between the arts and environmental sectors. He also leads on our work on climate justice and culture.

• Library of Creative Sustainability: https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/resources/library/. A set of case studies on projects that have involved collaborating with artists to achieve environmental sustainability outcomes, including some forest themed ones like The Black Wood of Rannoch and Hollywood Forest Story.

• culture/SHIFT Methodology: https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/resource/culture-shift-methodology/. Our step-by-step guide to working with artists on sustainability projects.

• Climate Beacons: https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/resource/climate-beacons-evaluation-report/. Project working with cultural organisations on place-based climate change public engagement. The Argyll project was focused on the temperate rainforests. 

• The Right Tree in the Right Place: https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/reflecting-upon-the-right-tree-in-the-right-place/. The last Green Tease event to focus on forests and trees specifically.

Previous to these roles she was Residency Curator at Delfina Foundation, London, Senior Lecturer on the MFA at HDK-Valand, University of Gothenburg and Public Engagement Curator at the Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow. Viviana has produced and contributed to a range of international projects, including the Young Artist of the Year Award, Ramallah and the 4^th Athens Biennale. 

Viviana has lectured on curatorial studies and contemporary art practice at amongst others: the Centre for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, New York, MA Social Practice and the Creative Environment, Limerick Institute of Technology; the International Academy of Art Palestine, Ramallah. With Anna Santomauro, she received the 2013 ICI/Dedalus Research Award for research into the legacy of  socially-engaged art practice in the U.S., and in 2016 was awarded the Igor Zabel Award for Culture and Theory Laureate’s choice for her contributions to the comprehension of and international interest in Eastern European art. Viviana holds a PhD from Loughborough University that focused on alternative Mediterranean curatorial practices. She currently serves as a trustee of cultural organisation, Timespan, Helmsdale, Scotland.

Viviana contributed a text to Towards Permacultural Institutions available here https://drive.google.com/file/d/10rYRG1u8HMctR332vW3OWLWSJUkUxtsE/view

Walking Forest a ten year project leading to co-creation of an Intentional Woodland as a living artwork with Ruth Ben-Tovim, Lucy Neal and Shelley Castle. Walking Forest exploring female-led earth activism and forest ecosystems commissioned by Season For Change and Coventry City Culture, 2020-21 and creative partner in MEMBRA 2021-2025 a UKRI Future of UK Treescapes research project exploring tree memory, resilience and adaption to climate change.

2009-2024 Lead artist, co-designer and curator  of Fruit Routes at Loughborough University creating a 1km long Fruit Route and local food culture. Fruit Routes Fruit Routes Charter for ongoing care and new curator Mita Solanky.

FLOW in Exeter 2018 onwards  193 fruit and nut trees over 5km (ribbon orchard) in Riverside Valley Park and co—designed from a residency in the park as part of the flood defence scheme https://floworchardexeter.uk/ Now a community led CIC with regular cultural events and ongoing tree planting.

Co-founder Abundance Sheffield 2007 leading to Abundance Network http://www.abundancenetwork.org.uk/ and Abundance Handbook 2008 (free download). https://growsheffield.com/abundance/  and Orchard City Manifesto, 2009.

Grow Efford in 2011, constellation orchard 50 fruit trees planted with people in Efford in their gardens  each new planter was invited to come along and plant the next tree in their neighbours garden creating a dispersed orchard across Efford.

https://www.sanabilgrami.com/documentary-films/tree-fellers/

In providing context, the accompanying essay looks to both the Highland’s past and its futures in relation to land and landholding, trees and forests. https://www.mairimcfadyen.scot/fragile-correspondence/2023/audio-piece

Anne Beate Hovind is an urban developer who commissions and produces art in public spaces. She is the curator of the world renowned Future Library in Oslo, a public artwork by Scottish artist Katie Paterson, which will unfold over the next 100 years challenging our concept of time, as well as of trust. www.futurelibrary.no

Anne Beate holds a number of board positions and is senior lecturer II at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design - Department of Aesthetics at OsloMet. Hovind has extensive management experience primarily in the private sector, but also in the public sector. She has held project management roles with responsibility for development work and change processes in large organisations, led innovation and development projects and sat in the project management of some of the country's largest land-based construction projects.
Over the past 20 years, Anne Beate worked at the interface of art, culture and business where she has gained a vast amount of experience in realising complex and original projects. In 2018, she received the Oslo Municipality's Artist Award for her work with art in the city.

From 2008, her creative efforts in sharing how to transform a small 2-acre, now 40+ yr-old monoculture Sitka Spruce plantation into a permanent, more resilient, mixed species woodland became her ongoing ecological art practice called The Hollywood Forest Story. This work formed the basis of Cathy's PhD research - The Ecological Turn (2018) - on the social power and workings of durational embedded-in-place ecological creative practices. Insights contributed to progressive Irish Green party forest policy in 2012, that prioritise continuous cover forestry.  Immediately after her PhD, she found herself co-developing Haumea Ecoversity, an independent online platform that has supported upskilling over 320+ mid-career creatives and cultural professionals from all art fields, in essential ecoliteracy and values-based learning for a better world with her colleague, philosopher Dr Nikos Patedakis (California). Cathy was on the committee of Pro Silva Ireland from 2009-2024 and in 2023, Cathy helped organise a series of webinars on rethinking permanent Close-to-Nature forestry in Aotearoa New Zealand, following the devastation of NZ's Storm Gabrielle (Feb 2023).

https://hollywoodforest.com/

https://haumea.ie/

In 2020, Annie created The Neighbouring Orchard, a major ongoing artwork commissioned by Art Walk Projects developing a community of 200 apple trees across Edinburgh’s coastal suburbs. An accompanying book, written and illustrated by Annie was published in 2022 by Art Walk Press. In 2023 she was shortlisted for the Nan Shepherd Prize in nature writing for her work in progress, Morphoses: On Nature’s Processes and Processed Nature. 

Links: 

www.annielord.co.uk

The Neighbouring Orchard

Morphoses - Nan Shepherd Prize

In her current role as Communications Manager at Forest Stewardship Council, she is the lead for communication in Europe. Her focus is media engagement and storytelling to build a positive narrative about sustainable forest management which combines nature conservation with use of wood and forest products.

Since 2011, she spearheaded production of several short documentaries such as ‘Afforesting Iceland’, featured by National Geographic reaching four and half million views or ‘Forest Rebooted’ showed at the Paris Science Film Festival.

https://ehermanowicz.wordpress.com/portfolio-2/

Forest Development Types - Forest Research

Management of long-term experiments - Forest Research

Tree of Knowledge | The James Hutton Institute

For White Wood, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, (2015/2915), a living monument to peace, she explored links between friendship and cooperation, precariousness and peace. Other commissioners include Whitechapel gallery, London, Kettle’s Yards, Cambridge, Wysing Arts Centre, Bourn.

She is a currently lecturing at the University of Reading.

https://www.a-n.co.uk/tag/caroline-wendling/

https://www.a-n.co.uk/reviews/still-life-caroline-wendling-at-kettles-yard/

https://bedfordcreativearts.org.uk/projects/take-part-queens-park-archipelago/

https://www.deveron-projects.com/white-wood/

https://www.instagram.com/caroline_wendling/?hl=en

The Deep Wealth of this Nation, Scotland was a collaboration between Newton Harrison (Centre for the Study of the Force Majeure), the Barn and the James Hutton Institute. The development of the work was supported by Professor Emeritus Anne Douglas and Chris Fremantle founder and director ecoartsscotland, research fellow Gray’s School of Art, RGU.

https://www.thebarnarts.co.uk/artist/newton-harrison 

https://alison-scott.co.uk/Congenial-Soils-and-Favourable-Situations

The Far Orchard includes an annual artist-led programme whereby an artist can develop new ways of working with the network through their own practice and interests within The Far Orchard. For 2023-24 artist and beekeeper Caitlin Dick has focused on pollinators including the honey bee.

Our seasonal programme reflects the diversity of attending to an apple tree and builds knowledge on climatic conditions such as pruning workshops, charcoal making from the pruned long straight shoots and charcoal drawing outdoors.

https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/library/the-far-orchard/

The Barn

The Barn is a multi-arts organisation connecting contemporary artists, third sector partners and communities of interest in reimagining themselves in climate crisis. We believe that the arts and artists have an important role in radically transforming ways of living.

Our site supports a performance space, gallery, wild garden, walled garden, a low-carbon craft store and neighbouring allotment holders. The arts are broadly defined to include ecological practices such as growing food and composting and our organisation is a pivotal contact zone where different knowledges; artistic, scientific and climate advocate cross fertilise. We participate in the lead working group for the ‘Green Arts Charter’, a framework to deliver climate action in Scotland. In 2023, the Barn was shortlisted for the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Award for Civic Arts Organisation.

The Far Orchard is an artist-led network of over 100 individuals, groups and organisations who care for an apple tree, acting as ‘pollinators’ of a dispersed orchard across rural communities. Plenty? emerged out of the Far Orchard as an intergenerational arts and climate festival that explores ‘degrowth’.

She maintains a freelance curatorial practice in Aberdeen, under the platform ‘Fertile Ground’.

The Barn

The Barn is a multi-arts organisation connecting contemporary artists, third sector partners and communities of interest in reimagining themselves in climate crisis. We believe that the arts and artists have an important role in radically transforming ways of living.

Our site supports a performance space, gallery, wild garden, walled garden, a low-carbon craft store and neighbouring allotment holders. The arts are broadly defined to include ecological practices such as growing food and composting and our organisation is a pivotal contact zone where different knowledges; artistic, scientific and climate advocate cross fertilise. We participate in the lead working group for the ‘Green Arts Charter’, a framework to deliver climate action in Scotland. In 2023, the Barn was shortlisted for the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Award for Civic Arts Organisation.

She is experienced in working at the research/policy interface and has contributed to the debate that surrounds the uncertainty of appropriate choice of planting stock in an era of climate change.

bio: https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/about/people/lindsaycampbell

STEW-MAP: https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/projects/stew-map

NYC Urban Field Station: https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/nrs/centers/nyc 

UFS Arts: https://ufsarts.com/

The South of Scotland (SOS) has recently been recognised by the Scottish Government as the national Natural Capital Innovation Zone due to the range of partnerships and initiatives underway. The SOS is keen to enhance Forestry's contribution to the Wellbeing Economy and attract responsible investment via collective decision making and landscape scale nature based solutions.

Using wearable garments, participatory walking, and soil as a painting medium, she was embedded artist in the Dunbar community for a year with North Light Arts with the project, Is Soil Alive?  The Keepers of the Soil cape was conceived as a connective and pedagogical ceremonial garment to raise awareness of our soils, much of which is under threat globally from industrialist pressures. It was worn by dozens of walkers during the two week Pilgrimage for COP26 in Nov 2021 and by soil scientists in the 22nd World Congress of Soil Science. 

Following on from this project she was then invited as Artist in Residence at Climate House (Inverleith House) in RBGE for four months to research soil along with the RBGE staff and volunteers. Finding joy in the microscopic biology of soil she produced a series of printed plates, finished the soil/ food/web embroidery on the garment and exhibited her newly developed work in the John Hope Gateway under the title Living Soil, 27/2/23- 27/3/23. 

Running alongside these themes is a long-standing collaboration with husband Kevin Dagg to build an EcoArtHut within their 5 acre woods in Fife. A mixture of Sitka, Sitka and Oak and Oak meadow, the collaborative project is for ecological habitat restoration. An additional plan is to build a low carbon, off grid 'Hut' under the One Thousand Huts campaign for professional as well as personal use. A long term aim is to open up the space to researchers and artists for short creative immersive retreats in the woodland.

https://natalietaylorartist.co.uk/

https://www.rbge.org.uk/news/articles/digging-deep-into-the-world-of-soil/

https://www.thousandhuts.org/

As well as primary research, Stephen tries to to communicate scientific findings for policymakers in various sectors. Dr. Stephen Cavers | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (ceh.ac.uk)

He has a particular interest in trees and woodland ecology and has spent many weekends exploring unique fragments of ancient forest around Scotland. With his wife and fellow artist Natalie Taylor, he owns 5 acres of mixed woodland and Sitka Spruce plantation in Fife. They are currently exploring ways of managing the Sitka Plantation to improve amenity for human and non-human visitors as well as improving biodiversity on the site.  A central focus of these experiments is brashing the lower branches to allow light to reach the forest floor. These severed branches are being stacked into piles to create insect habitats and preserve organic material on the forest floor. An integral part of this project is the building an off-grid EcoArtHut which is being constructed from their wood, cut and milled on-site. This building has been designed in accordance with Reforesting Scotland’s 1000 huts campaign. https://www.thousandhuts.org

He currently lives in Edinburgh and lectures part-time at Edinburgh College of Art.

Personal website: https://jonathanbaxter.me/

A+E at the Cathedral: https://artandecology.earth/

Art Walk Projects: https://www.artwalkporty.co.uk/project/craigmillar-communities-walking-residency/

Dundee Urban Orchard: https://dundeeurbanorchard.net/ 

Sharing Not Hoarding: https://www.sharingnothoarding.org/ 

https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/staff/jordan-rydlewski

• Goto Collins, R., Collins, T. (2018) “The Black Wood: Relations, Empathy and a Feeling of Oneness in Caledonian Pine Forests.” In Arts, Religion, and the Environment. Eds. Bergmann and Clingerman, Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Rodopi.

• Goto Collins, R., Collins, T. (2018) “The Black Wood: Relations, Empathy and a Feeling of Oneness in Caledonian Pine Forests.” In Arts, Religion, and the Environment. Eds. Bergmann and Clingerman, Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Rodopi.

• Collins, T., Goto Collins, R., Edwards, D. (2017) A Critical Forest Art Practice. In Landscape Research  Journal  (Vol. 43 #2). Abingdon: Taylor and Francis.

• Edwards, D., Collins, T., Goto Collins, R. (2017) An arts-led dialogue to elicit shared, plural and cultural values of ecosystems. In Ecosystem Services 21 (2016) 319–328, Special Session on Cultural Ecosystem Services: Frontiers in Theory and Practice, Ed. Kenter, J. Netherlands: Elsevier Publications.

• Goto Collins, R., Collins, T. (2017) “Imagination and Empathy – Artists with Trees.” In Participatory Research in More-than-Human Worlds. Eds. Bastian, M., Jones, O., Roe, E. Oxon, UK: Taylor and Francis.

• Collins, T., Goto, Collins, R. (2016) “Defining a Practice: With Reflection on Sylva Caledonia.” In Elemental: An Arts and Ecology Reader, Brady, J., Ed. Liverpool UK: Gaia Press

• Edwards, D. Goto Collins, R., (2016)“Does the Conservation Status of a Caledonian Forest also Indicate Cultural Ecosystem Value?” In Bio Cultural Diversity in Europe.  Ed. Agnoletti, M. of the University of Firenze, Italy. London: Springer-Verlag.

• Collins, T., Goto Collins, R., Edwards, D. (2015) Future Forest: The Blackwood, Rannoch Scotland. Oxford and Roslin: Landscape Research Group Press and Forest Research.

• Collins, T., Goto Collins, R., Edwards, D. (2014) “A Case Study: Forest Futures, Kinloch Rannoch: Artistic engagement, interviews, deliberations and social learning to reveal hidden cultural values” in, the UK National Ecosystems Assessment Follow-on, Shared Plural and Cultural Values: A Handbook for DecisionMakers. Eds Kenter, J., Reed, M. et al. Cambridge: UNEP-WCMC

• Collins, T., Goto Collins, R., Edwards, D. (2014) “Future Forest – Caledonian – Aware Access – Blackwood“, in Imagining Natural Scotland. Ed Griffith, D. Glasgow and Edinburgh: Creative Scotland.

• Collins, T (2012) Art, Imagination and Environment. In Thompson, I. Howard, P. and Waterton, E. (Eds) Companion to Landscape Studies. London: Routledge.

• Collins, T. (2010) 3 Rivers 2nd Nature 2000-2005, Water, Land & Dialogue. In Carney, L.S., And Pageot, E-A, In a special issue on Landscape, Cultural Spaces, Ecology. RACAR, Revue d’art Canadienne / Canadian Art Review, Vol 35 Issue 3. Arnprior, ON: Canada Universities Art Association of Canada.

• Collins, T. (2008) Can or Should Artists Attempt to Create Verifiable Change? In O’Reilly, S., Beauchamp, P. (Eds.) Sense in Place, Site-ations International. Cardiff, Wales: Centre for Research in art and Design, University of Wales Institute Cardiff, and Dublin: Dublin Institute of Technology DIT, Ireland.

• Tarr, J, Muller, T. and Collins, T. (2008) Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers From Industrial to Environmental Infrastructure. In Mauch, C. and Zeller, T. (Eds.) Rivers in History: Designing and Conceiving Waterways in Europe and North America. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. The article was subsequently reprinted at the request of the editors in: Mohl, R. and Biles, R. (2012) The Making of Urban America. Maryland: Rowan and Littlefield.

• Collins, T. (2008) Art Nature and Aesthetics in the Post Industrial Public Realm. In France, R. (Ed.) Healing Nature, Repairing Relationships: Restoring Ecological Spaces and Consciousness. Chicago, ILL: Green Frigate Books.

• Collins, T. (2007) Art, Environment and Ecology: within a changing social and environmental context. In Channeling Herbert: earthworks. artworks. public works, Curator/Editor Cheryl dos Remédios. Washington, US: Cultural Division City of Kent. 

• Collins, T. (2007) Catalytic Aesthetics. In the publication from the conference, Artful Ecologies, Falmouth: University College Falmouth.

• Collins, T. Kline, J. Vallianos, K. Fox, C. et al (2006) Ecology and Recovery: Allegheny County, Final Report, Pittsburgh PA: STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, Carnegie Mellon University. (Executive Summary)

• Collins, T. and Goto, R. (2005) An Ecological Context. In Miles, M. (Ed.)New Practices/New Pedagogies: Emerging Contexts, Practices and Pedagogies in Europe and North America. Lisse, Netherlands: Swets and Zeitlinger.

• Goto, R. and Collins, T. (2005) Mapping Social and Ecological Practices. In Miles, M. (Ed.) New Practices/New Pedagogies: Emerging Contexts, Practices and Pedagogies in Europe and North America. Lisse, Netherlands: Swets and Zeitlinger.

• Collins, T. Farber, S. Fox, C. Goto, R. Perkins Eastman Architects et al (2004) An Ecological and Physical Investigation of Pittsburgh’s Hillside. (Report to the City of Pittsburgh Hillsides Committee). Pittsburgh PA: STUDIO for Creative Inquiry and Perkins Eastman Architects with Allegheny Land Trust.

Since 2022, Sarah has been working with A+E to deliver the Plants are our Teachers programme - facilitating art making in response to plants using plant-based inks and earth pigments.

Personal website: https://www.sarahgittins.net/  

Plants are our Teachers, with A+E: https://artandecology.earth/plants-are-our-teachers-2/

Future Fruit with Deveron Projects: https://www.deveron-projects.com/future-fruit/

Dundee Urban Orchard: https://dundeeurbanorchard.net  

Applications are invited for small research projects which seek to address key knowledge gaps in our understanding of the role of woodland creation and management in Greenhouse Gas Removal in the UK.

Projects can last up to 9 months in duration.

The call will be open until 24 April 2024 at 5pm GMT.

Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape.

Specifically, The Hollywood Forest Story is about the learning and efforts to transform a small monoculture conifer plantation into a beautiful, permanent, productive, multispecies, bird-filled forest following more ecologically wiser Closer-to-Nature forestry practices (also known as continuous cover forestry CCF in Ireland). Cathy has long been associated with ProSilva Ireland, one of 25 groups across Europe promoting integrated forestry for multiple social, environmental and economic benefits. See ProSilvaIreland.com and ProSilva.org involving countries like Slovenia who promote Close-to-Nature approaches and have not permitted clearfell forestry for many decades.

The Hollywood Forest Story as an durational ecological art practice, communicated through her blog, was basis for Cathy's creative practice PhD The Ecological Turn 2018 that reviewed pioneers in durational ecological art practice. Knowing firsthand that art colleges have not advanced ecopedagogy Cathy's more recent endeavour has been to develop popular peer-led online ecoliteracy courses for other creatives and cultural professionals at https://HaumeaEcoversity.ie

In the past nine years we’ve worked with over 50 groups and individuals, including a beekeeper, ex-miners, scouts, Derbyshire’s official fungi recorder, potters, photographers, a mushroom grower, narrowboat restorers, museum curators, community archivists, forestry workers, amateur radio enthusiasts, musicians, kiln workers, historians, wildlife recorders, filmmakers, charcoal makers, bird watchers and folk singers.

Over that time our youth members have grown in confidence and skills, developing experience and commitment to shape and direct where Youth Landscapers Collective goes next.

In this episode we introduce you to who we are and what we do via an online conversation between artist Jo Wheeler, who helped initiate YLC in 2016, and three of our Youth Council members, Alfie Ropson, Isaac Munslow and Kris Kirkwood. Alfie, Isaac and Kris have all been involved with YLC since the early days and now contribute as paid project assistants, artists, technicians and board members.

https://www.podbean.com/ea/dir-s6cbx-23ad8834

Mapping Marton Wood is a slow art project led by Chrysalis Arts Development based in North Yorkshire. The project is funded by Arts Council England and National Lottery Community Fund and it weaves together ecology and art, bringing artists, ecologists and the public together to explore a 6.6 hectare, local woodland.

Find all of the Artists' Commissions here.

3 WOODS is a trilogy of interdisciplinary, site-responsive, and community-engaged artworks about three different forests in Europe: Folkeparken in Northern Norway, Chopwell Wood in North East England, and the Heidewald in South West Germany. The process is being supported by Arctic Arts Festival in Norway, GIFT Festival in the UK, and Matchbox in Germany.

“community engagement isn’t a ‘step’ in the process – it is the process”

Albert Marshall is a respected Mi’kmaq Elder whose concept of two-eyed seeing recognizes the strength of Indigneous ways of knowing and the strength of western ways of knowing and uses both competencies together.

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In Marshall's words "Two-Eyed Seeing refers to learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing and from the other eye with the strengths of Western ways of knowing and to using both of these eyes together” (Bartlett, Marshall, & Marshall, 2012, p. 335).  

This avoids a clash of knowledges (Canadian Council on Learning [CCL], 2007). Thus, Two-Eyed Seeing intentionally and respectfully brings together our different ways of knowing, to motivate people to use all our gifts so we leave the world a better place and do not compromise the opportunities for our youth (Bartlett, Marshall, & Marshall, 2007). The concentration on the common ground between Indigenous and Western ways of knowing means that one does not have to relinquish either position but can come to understand elements of both (Brandt, 2007). The place-based learning experience- Ik ka nutsi follows a two-eyed approach.

The Lost Elms is a love letter to our vanished elms - the story of how we have nearly lost them all, and the long, slow fight back. It tells the gripping story of the scientists desperately trying to halt the disease's relentless progress, and demonstrates the deadly effect globalisation can have on the environment, the threat of climate change, the importance of biosecurity and the intricate ways in which trees are interlinked with other species.

See also https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jul/23/the-lost-elms-by-mandy-haggith-review-cultural-history-of-a-noble-tree

• Josh Harrison (Helen and Newton Harrison's son) from the Center for the Study of the Force Majeure

• Laura Fillmore, artist and community organiser who worked with Helen and Newton Harrison on the Future Garden at Sagehen (and who continues to advise on that project)

• Benny Fillmore, an Elder of the Washoe Nation of Nevada and California who also worked with the Harrisons.

13th August 2025.

The next network meeting will be hosted by Simone Stewart from Govanhill Baths/the Creative Canopies project. Details to follow in due course.

The White Wood is a living monument to peace, which will develop over three hundred years. As a site of reflection, it was created by the community of Huntly and artist Caroline Wendling, with oaks from Germany, stones from France and Scottish soil. Along with forty nine oaks, grown from acorns from Joseph Beuys' 7000 Oaks in Kassel, the wood is made up of one thousand seven hundred native trees, shrubs and wild flowers, all of which displays an element of white, the colour of peace.

Thursday 25 June 2026 - 6.00pm-7.15pm. Online

'Resonance' is a living 100-year artwork: seven circles of seven silver birch trees located on seven lines radiating from the centre of the Lake District National Park. The birch trees were collected and planted between 2024 and 2026, with more than 130 people involved.