Endangered Ecologies: Design Through Policy

A group of charities, local wildlife groups and specialists have come together to produce a vision for the marshes over the past few months. We have gained media attention and are beginning to collaborate with local councillors and MPs. This documents looks to assist the future development of the collaborative vision for the marshes. It also provides a feasibility study for a policy pilot project that focuses on the concept of ‘custodians of landscape’. My practice focuses on edgeland landscapes as a key to triggering a social and economic shift in how we view endangered natural spaces in our city. Through the act of walking though this landscape we have managed to meet people who are interested in this landscape, we have also made alliances with landowners and charities. The practice looks to facilitate multidisciplinary collaborations with the aim to bring attention to overlooked ecologies and landscapes that are really valuable for our environment. The old flour mill acts as an anchor for this pilot project. Its strategic location connects the outer and inner marshes and provides a great working base for the charity that is already active on the marshes. The river Cray that runs through the marshes is a rare type of chalk stream, it is being restored and protected by this charity. Their stable, cool, nutrient-rich waters allow chalk streams to support an exceptionally high number of species – so much so that these habitats are sometimes described as “England’s rainforests”. The design for the mill reactivates this historically valuable space and provides a space for community, while creating better access onto the marshes.