Community involvement

Participation in community gardens, allotments and city farms creates opportunities for people to learn about nature whilst improving their own environment. Projects at Kentish Town in London, Heeley in Sheffield, Springfields in Bradford and Hulme in Manchester illustrate how this can deliver significant benefits.

As we go on to discuss in Chapter 5, community involvement in the design and management and stewardship of larger public greenspaces can also bring benefits. Mile End Park in London, with its ecology centre and park, is a good example of how stewardship and participatory learning can be combined.