What
“This is paradise” announces a chirpy little 8-year old girl after bounding over to the pond. She says it with theatrical authority, hands rested on top of the pond wall as if she’s speaking at a podium, and then she leans over the water and studies the plants, bugs and tadpoles before her.
She’s the latest in such a steady stream of visitors that soon I have to ask one of the brilliant staff team to come and marshal the buzzing troupe of bug lovers and water wonderers away for a while so I can get back to work completing this latest Natural Neighbours project.
Another little girl stays at the pond side for ages, providing an irresistible distraction with her stream of questions and observations. She loves the pond so much that she studies it with binoculars from her flat halfway up the high-rise block across the park. Watching and listening to her and the other children probing and studying and joyfully sharing the fun, it’s clear this will be a transformative part of theirs and so many lives. It truly is a little piece of paradise.
Where
This latest project is making waves at the Hackney Marshes Adventure Playground which is itself tucked into the corner of Daubeney Fields in Hackney, next to the skate park and Kingsmead estate. We’ll be working with the children, team and local volunteers to create a wildlife-rich tranquil corner in the north east of the playground.
The pond is up against the playground fencing so human and wildlife visitors can get up close despite that the playground is closed to adults for most of the year. There are occasional open access days though and it’ll be great to have members of the public visit and get involved – watch this space.
Why
This pond at Hackney Marshes Adventure Playground is just the beginning of what we’re planning to be long-term partnership with the kids, staff and wider community. We want to design and build beautiful opportunities for the human community to appreciate and engage with the natural one. It’s our first big splash, if you like, and it’s already having an amazing effect on the children, many of whom have helped out with digging holes and hauling mud, wood and stones.
What Achieved
This large pond and the hundreds of pounds worth of plants donated by local residents, the generosity of our Green September donors and the Post Code Society Trust all helped make the green and splashy paradise possible.
