The Orchard Ideas Lab will bring together individuals in the communities of St Thomas & Exwick, specialists from wider Exeter & the agencies invested in the site for a day of co-creating, designing, mapping, planning, devising and co-learning.

I have been given permission to make adaptions to the current planting plan proposed and had approval for these ideas from Environment Agency Ecologist & Exeter City Council Public & Greenspace Manager. The intention is, through planting fruit & nut orchards and fruiting hedgerow bushes to enhance biodiversity and create a richer foraging habitat for people and wildlife as well as adding human interest and highlighting our connection to local food and the commons. FLOW would create linkage across the site providing an essential corridor for pollinating insects and birds and to entice people to explore the park.

The lab will be a welcoming, creative space where knowledge & contributions of different kinds are honoured & respected. We will spend time on site as well as time exploring the overall concept & design using detailed location maps. The day will be designed to build connection between the group, explore options for the route and what is planted, explore how people might engage with it, energise and enthuse people around its care and potential for events, walks, healthy engagement with the landscape.