New Neighbours
I was commissioned by the Seven Lochs Partnership to create an activity trail in Blairtummock Park. The park is in Easterhouse, and was part of recent redevelopments to make more green space in the area, and provide a flood management zone for nearby houses.
The trail was commissioned to engage families with the area and communicate the value the area brings to nature and people too. ‘New Neighbours’ brings together lots of creature characters co-designed with local children from Pavillion, BEE and Platform, celebrating the different forms of nature that are creating homes in this new nature space.
Activities are multi-sensory, including singing, scavenger hunts, story-telling and lots more. The other side of the trail consists of a map with the different creature locations, which are marked by character way markers around the park.
Workshops and Community Engagement
Workshop Facilitation
Over the summer of 2023, I facilitated workshops with different groups around Easterhouse to inspire the trail activities and characters. These included Platform’s Holiday Club and Art Club, Pavillion Youth Club and BEE’s Youth Club.
The workshops consisted of an inspiration walk, taking visual notes of creatures, nature and possible activities in Blairtummock Park.
When we arrived back at the clubs, we used a roll of paper to create a collaborative map of Easterhouse and the park, embellishing it with imagined creatures, stories and collage.
Initial Findings
Lack of interest in going outside and exploring in nature and particularly in the park - seen as a ‘through route’ and not considered a park ‘the pitches’
Little understanding of the history of the location and why the park has been created
Lots of people unaware of water voles and the need for a flood protection area
Aims of the Trail
Reconnect local families to nature through the unique opportunity to see a new park form and grow
Encourage pride of place and heritage - linking to local organisations such as Platform, Pavillion and BEE
Highlight the reasons for the park’s creation (flood management) and reasons for rewilding (water voles and benefits to nature)