Chatham, United Kingdom
City population: 260417
Duration: 2016 – 2016
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Other
Last updated: October 2021

The 'Painting the Town Green' project got to work with Blossoms Day Nursery, based at Wayfield Primary School. Working with parents of the two-year-olds who attend the nursery, they added more wildlife-friendly areas to the outdoor play space. The grounds are now home to colorful planters hung on the low fences, filled with bulbs which will flower in the Spring, and topped with miniature firs and winter pansies; a beehive-shaped compost bin. All of these things provide rich wildlife habitats and educational opportunities (Ref 1, 4).

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Green playgrounds and school grounds

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Environmental education
  • Social interaction
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Knowledge creation and awareness raising

Project objectives

The project aimed to: 1. Provide rich wildlife habitat (insects primarily) 2. Reconnect people with their close-by nature 3. Create a more intimate sense of community 4. Improve the look of neglected open spaces (Ref 1)

Implementation activities

1. Hang colourful planters, 2. Create compost facilities for the garden, 3. Create bug hotels (Ref 1).

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Create new habitats
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups
  • Young people and children

Governance

Management set-up

  • Led by non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Non-government organisation/civil society

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The intervention was part of the Painting the Town Green project, which is part of the Kent Wildlife Trust (Ref 4).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Unknown

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Other

Type of funding

  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Environmental quality
  • Improved waste management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Restoration of derelict areas

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved social cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Increased knowledge of locals about local nature

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References