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Our site manager Ed Simpson leads a two part module: ‘Land Care Practices - Soil & Air’ on our ‘Climate & Adaptation’ course.

These sessions are designed through the framing of “Ecological First Aid”: creating a set of accessible skills that empower people to care for the planet.

Pairing collective and practical landcare with discussion around the social and political conditions of ecological collapse, we hope to shine a light on why this form of care is so needed.

Our session on ‘Soil’ opened with group discussion on speculative fiction as a route to navigating the complexities of different political and technological futures. Together, we then installed a new arm into the underground log irrigation system below our reserve canopy, guided by research from Nozomi Nakabayashi @playing.drawing.sharing.

Nozomi started building this system in May 2026 during one of our Community Ecologies workshops, simulating a forest floor with hyperlocal waste materials: logs, wood chip, coffee ground, wool, biochar. This system helps move water and air below ground, and contains materials that compost at different timelines to promote mycelium growth.

Leaning into the complexities of urban ecosystems, democratizing landcare practices through up-skilling, we hope to make caring for local ecosystems a civic duty, and one that people can feel confident in leading.

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An excerpt from Nozomi Nakabayashi’s recent lecture on ‘Caring for Urban Soil’, programmed within our ‘Climate and Adaptation’ course.

At Bethnal Green Nature Reserve, guided by Nozomi, we have been adapting research from Japanese vernacular soil restoration techniques from Organic Civil Engineering Association in order to improve urban soil permeability and biodiversity.

Under our reserve’s canopy, a central point of gathering onsite, we have been building a Biodiversity log irrigation system in order to restore the local soil ecology. Like many other city open green spaces, heavy foot traffic on man-made ground, combined with long periods of drought have resulted in hard, compact soil.

We hand-dug channels to create an underground log corridor and log piles to transport air, rainwater and nutrients to permeate the compacted ground. We filled the gaps around the logs with natural waste resources from our hyperlocal area including wood shavings (London Greenwood at Hackney City Farm), fallen leaves, coffee grounds (La Tostadora Rostery @latostadora.coffee), straw and wool together with bio-char (Say it With Wood @therealsayitwithwood), broken slate and brick pieces. And recently, spent barley from Five Points Brewery (@fivepointsbrew) has newly joined this hyper local natural waste material network.

The collaboration between human hands, and locally sourced natural materials helps nature to start a cycle to restore the forest floor; a practical example where everyday human and material networks can enact positive transformation for the land.

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In May, Nozomi Nakabayshi facilitated a Community Ecologies workshop on Urban Soil at Bethnal Green Nature Reserve.

Urban soils are often compacted and sealed, leaving them vulnerable to both dry spells and sudden downpours driven by climate change. This clip shows a practical intervention that was introduced to restore the below-ground soil ecology. Biochar made onsite was used to create an underground irrigation system, allowing water to be filtered and easily absorbed.

This Saturday at 10am, Nozomi will be delivering an online lecture, further exploring care for urban soil and climate resilience. This lecture is part of our Climate & Adaptation course’s ‘Land Care Practices (Soil)’ Module, but is open to all.

For more information and to access the zoom link visit: https://bethnalgreennaturereserve.org/calendar/caring-for-urban-soil-lecture-by-nozomi-nakabayashi

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On Saturday September 12th 2026 from 10:00-11:15 (online) we’re delighted to invite Nozomi Nakabayashi to deliver a guest lecture on caring for urban soil. This lecture is programmed within our ‘Climate & Adaptation’ course module ‘Land Care Practices (Soil)’ led by Bethnal Green Nature Reserve site manager Edward Simpson.

Through ongoing experiments, Nozomi explores and shares practical approaches to caring for existing urban ground. The work focuses on improving soil permeability and biodiversity to enhance climate resilience, and on understanding the everyday human and material networks that enable these transformations.

Her understanding of ground and soil as a shared ecological and social structure is informed by her experience working on public architecture, landscape, playground, and public realm projects in London while at the Hackney-based practice Root and Erect.

Recent collaborations include Bethnal Green Nature Reserve, Teesdale and Hollybush TRA in London, and the Organic Civil Engineering Association in Japan.

To receive the zoom lecture link, message @school_of_urban_ecologies

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Daymer Daf Lessons
Starting September 2026

North London Community House
📍22 Moorefield Rd, London N17 6PY

@nlch_centre @daymercentre

@maryamnamaziedaf
@__ronisa__
@b_rcinn
@logodanceschool @eraylogo
@elifkbulut
@persiaa98_ir
@isikdleyla
@playing.drawing.sharing
@ozgurarabul

#daf #erbane #framedrum #dafplayer #percussion

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Community Ecologies 2026 is back and we are kicking off the season with something truly grounding!

Urban soils are often compacted, sealed and struggling. They cannot breathe, absorb water or support the diversity of life beneath our feet, leaving them vulnerable to the very extremes our changing climate is bringing. But through simple, practical steps and natural materials, we can begin to restore them together.

Join Nozomi Nakabayashi for a hands-on workshop exploring the ground beneath the reserve, learning how to read soil health and take practical steps to help it thrive. Nozomi’s practice sits at the intersection of architecture, landscape and ecology, and she has been researching vernacular land stewardship practices of the Organic Civil Engineering Association in Japan. She brings a genuinely practical approach to this session.

No experience needed.
Just bring your curiosity and comfortable clothes.

📅 Saturday 9th May
⏰ 2pm - 3:30pm
📍Bethnal Green Nature Reserve, Middleton Street, E2 9RR
🤎 Free, no booking required

Meeting point: reserve entrance on Middleton Street
Please note: places are limited to 20 per session. Early arrival is recommended.

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Last Open Access of the summer 🌞 we’re back in October 🙏🏽 dates to be announced in the next few weeks. #risograph

Prints by @akiucdesign @playing.drawing.sharing @eleanormwrites @laibaverse @quasiamiable @hei.plays @ayeshasureya

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The new year has already started but we wanted to look back at our 2023!

A big thank you to all the great artists that we had the pleasure to work with and all the lovely people who came to see the exhibitions, joined for a music night, or said hello at our summer party!

We are excited for the new year and more to come in 2024! ✨✨

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Here's to a whirlwind year with Lot Projects.

To all the incredible artists that have exhibited, everyone that's come through the red doors, and the lovely Lot behind the scenes.

🙏

The photos show just a few highlights from the year.

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It is always a pleasure jamming with @playing.drawing.sharing thanks @lotprojects for having us

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Thank you to everyone who joined us for the second Oud & Percussion jam, it was a beautiful atmosphere. A big thank you to the performers:
Oud: @playing.drawing.sharing
Percussion: @khalid_takrouri
Singer: @faisalslay

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