The BlueGreenE17 project aims to collaborate with communities and local organizations to foster a vision for a wilder Walthamstow that benefits both its residents and its precious wildlife.
About the initiative
Walthamstow, London, E17 - In a bid to create a more vibrant and ecologically diverse urban landscape, the BlueGreenE17 initiative, also known as Wild(er) Walthamstow, has been launched. The project aims to collaborate with communities and local organizations to foster a vision for a wilder Walthamstow that benefits both its residents and its precious wildlife.
The core objective of the BlueGreenE17 project is to explore how nature and biodiversity can thrive in the bustling urban environment of Walthamstow. The focus will be on maximizing the potential of green and blue spaces.
What are blue and green spaces?
Green space refers to areas with plants and trees, and blue space refers to water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands. BlueGreenE17 is actively gathering information on all types of green and blue space in Walthamstow. This ranges from smaller spaces including such as window boxes, street trees, grass verges and garden ponds to parks, woodlands and wetlands. Any and all spaces are included!
What are they doing?
One of the primary aspects of the project involves mapping the existing green and blue spaces in Walthamstow while also analysing their connectivity. The goal is to identify green corridors and waterways that could potentially be physically linked together, allowing for the movement of animals between habitats. Additionally, understanding how residents perceive and connect with nature within their surroundings is a crucial aspect of the initiative.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the community's perspective, the BlueGreenE17 team is employing various methods. A photo survey is being conducted to gather residents' perspectives and ideas regarding green and blue spaces. The insights from these surveys will be used to develop an accurate representation of the current state of Walthamstow's natural areas.
Furthermore, interviews with key stakeholder groups are being conducted to obtain valuable insights into their perspectives on the importance of green and blue spaces and their impact on the community's well-being.
Who can help?
The BlueGreenE17 initiative is calling on residents of Walthamstow to actively participate in the project and contribute their valuable insights. By uniting the collective wisdom of the community, the project envisions a greener, bluer, and more resilient Walthamstow, where both people and wildlife can thrive harmoniously.
If you’d like to take part in the BlueGreenE17 initiative, you can do so by helping to map different experiences of blue and green spaces in Walthamstow. Click here for more information!
The research team:
The team are based in the School of Geography at Queen Mary University of London
The research project is funded by Research England
Gemma Harvey
Reader in Physical Geography with research expertise in landscape restoration and rewilding, including the role of plants and animals in altering earth surface processes
Alex Henshaw
Reader in Physical Geography with research expertise in landscape restoration and rewilding, including use of geospatial technologies to characterise vegetation and landform dynamics
Regan Koch
Senior Lecturer in Human Geography with research expertise in re-imagining urban public space, relations between public and private, and how people encounter and live among others in urban environments
William Monteith
Senior Lecturer in Human Geography with research expertise in experiences of work, entrepreneurship and environmental stewardship at the margins of capitalist economies
Katherine Stansfeld
Postdoctoral Researcher with research expertise in place, difference, sociality, natures, mapping and multiculture
Barney Bennett
Research Assistant and student on MSc Water and Environmental Management
Martha Cusker
Research Assistant and student on BSc Environmental Science
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