Welcome to the first ever Festival of Urban Landscapes for Nature and People! 

Gathering to celebrate resilient cities filled with nature, an unmissable event with UK and international speakers and a range of fantastic workshops and discussions in an incredible venue.

£30 concessions, £95 full price including VAT and full catering (vegetarian).

The full programme is below – but here is our great line-up of UK and international experts and activists including:

Laura Gatti, Studio Laura Gatti Bosco Verticale (RIBA International Building Award 2018), Trudo social housing Vertical Forest Eindhoven NL, Nanjing Vertical Forest and Forêt Blanche Paris

Ed Snodgrass, Emory Knoll Farms USA Green roof planstman, President Emory Knoll Farms, Maryland USA

John Little, Director of the Grass Roof Company, Green Roof Shelters and Green Roof Training Greenspace Manager Clapton Park Estate, co-author of Small Green Roofs and the Green Roof DIY Guide

Dusty Gedge, Livingroofs.org, Green Infrastructure Consultancy, President of the EFB Internationally-recognised green roof policy and design expert

Arit Anderson, Diamond Hill Garden Design, BBC Gardeners' World Presenting Team Award-winning garden designer, Gold Medal RHS Hampton Court 2016 Near Future Garden communicating overuse of oil and use of renewable energy to combat climate change, now relocated to the Eden Project

Gary Grant FCIEEM, Green Infrastructure Consultancy Ecologist and green infrastructure expert, Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment UCL, author of Ecosystem Services Come to Town, The Water Sensitive City and co-author London Green Roofs and Walls Technical Report

Richard Scott, National Wildflower Centre Director of the National Wildflower Centre

Fergus Garrett, Great Dixter Head Gardener and CEO Great Dixter House & Gardens, Sussex

Sara Venn, Incredible Edible Bristol Horticulturalist and garden designer, community food growing activist and educator

Jon Broome, Jon Broome Architects Affordable housing in sustainable neighbourhoods

Wendy Allen, Wendy Alled Designs Award-winning garden designer, Gold Medal RHS Hampton Court 2009 Sustainable Garden featuring biodiverse green roofs and rain gardens

Marc Linton Senior Landscape Architect, London Borough of Islington

James McGill Entomologist, botanist and ecologist

Polly Moseley Nature communicatorand more

We will be celebrating ways to design city landscapes and buildings for nature and people – from plant selection, architecture and site design to the detail of green roofs and walls and good landscape management.

The Festival is hosted by greenspace manager of Clapton Park Estate John Little and Fiona Crummay at Hilldrop House & Gardens, their beautiful self-build house and four acres of wildlife and brownfield landscapes and gardens, created over the last 20 years. Camping is available, all catering (vegetarian) is included.

Here is a link to a video of the venue: https://youtu.be/_ewr7jAbNtI

Friday from 6pm come and relax around the camp fire. Camp at Hilldrop until Sunday, or stay at the lovely Bell Inn or other nearby places - see Accommodation below.

The Festival starts at 9.30am on Saturday morning with presentations and discussions from UK and international experts working with nature to green our cities - full programme below.

Saturday afternoon, choose workshops from 2.00-2.45 and 4.00-4.45 - including brownfield landscape design with John Little, a tour of Hilldrop's green roofs with Dusty Gedge, sustainable affordable nature-based housing with architect Jon Broome, the bugs and plants of Great Dixter and more.

Between workshops Arit Anderson interviews Laura Gatti on her award-winning work pioneering the Vertical Forest concept with architect Stefano Boeri in Europe and China.

In the final session, ecologist and UK green infrastructure expert and masterplanner Gary Grant discusses what next for 22nd Century cities, followed by a Q&A facilitated by John Little and Dusty Gedge.

On Saturday evening, dinner and drinks around the campfire, talking nature, people and cities into the summer night with live music - here are the great musicians playing - enjoy!

Grasslands (Tom Haynes)

James Numbere 

On Sunday morning with breakfast, we'll see what the Moth traps have brought in. More discussions with Laura Gatti, Dusty Gedge, Ed Snodgrass, Fergus Garrett, Richard Scott, Arit Anderson, John Little, Wendy Allen, Sara Venn and others. The festival ends Sunday lunchtime.

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Friday 20th July

Arrival from 6pm for camping, relax around the evening camp fire.

Saturday 21st July

Morning

9.30-10.30 | Introduction facilitated by Sara Venn, Incredible Edible Bristol

John Little Welcome to Hilldrop and festival overview

Dusty Gedge Cities, climate resilience and nature

Ed Snodgrass Green roofs, plants and people - nature, beauty and delight

10.30-11.00 | Coffee break

11.00-12.15 | Cities, nature and communities 

John Little, Greenspace Manager Clapton Park Estate & Marc Linton Senior Landscape Architect London Borough of Islington Housing estates for nature and people: Clapton Park Estate Hackney and Islington  Council new-build and refurbishment with nature

Wendy Allen, Wendy Allen Designs Working with Rivers Trusts and communities to design and create raingardens

Richard Scott, Director National Wildflower Centre Sowings and celebration in unlikely places: from Powerhouse to Flowerhouse

12.15-12.30 | Introduction to Afternoon Workshops

Choose from the following afternoon workshops:

Intro to 2.00 - 2.45: Workshops 1

Fergus Garrett Head Gardener at Great Dixter House & Gardens Great Dixter: how bugs changed our view of plants

Dusty Gedge Livingroofs.org, Green Infrastructure Consultancy, President of the EFB Green roof design with tour of Hilldrop’s green roofs

Jon Broome Jon Broome Architects Affordable homes for all in a sustainable neighbourhood

Intro to 4.00 - 4.45: Workshops 2

Sara Venn Incredible Edible Bristol Horticulturalist and garden designer, community organiser, inspirational urban food growing and educator

Richard Scott Director of the National Wildflower Centre Sowings and celebration in unlikely places: from Powerhouse to Flowerhouse

John Little Greenspace Manager of Clapton Park Estate Hackney The potential for soils and substrates in brownfield landscapes to dictate plant communities

12.30-1.00 | Tours of the garden with John Little, Dusty Gedge & James McGill 

Afternoon

1.00-2.00 | Lunch

2.00-2.45 | Workshops 1 Around the Gardens

2.45-3.30 | Living proof: Vertical Forests for cities, nature and people - Arit Anderson interviews Laura Gatti Landscape Designer of the Bosco Verticale Milan

Leading garden designer and BBC Gardeners' World presenter Arit Anderson interviews multi-award-winning Italian landscape designer Laura Gatti who, with architect Stefano Boeri, is pioneering Vertical Forests, bringing hectares of trees into cities with high-rise developments such as Milan’s Bosco Verticale, Trudo Vertical Forest Eindhovern, Vertical Forest Nanjing and Forêt Blanche Paris

3.30-4.00 | Tea break

4.00-4.45 | Workshops 2 Around the Gardens

4.45-5.30 | Final session

Gary Grant FCIEEM Green Infrastructure Consultancy The future of cities: nature, water, soil and cities in the 21st Century 

Weaving the green tapestry together Sharing what we’ve learnt, questions and general discussion Facilitated by John Little & Dusty Gedge

Saturday Evening

6.00 | Dinner and discussions around the campfire

7.00 | Grasslands (Tom Haynes) Music + stories of nature

8.00 | James Numbere and band

Morning Sunday 22nd July

Moth Trap Breakfast See what the moth traps have brought in with local bugman Rod Cole, James McGill, Gary Grant and Dusty Gedge 

More informal discussions with Laura Gatti, John Little, Dusty Gedge, Ed Snodgrass, Arit Anderson, Gary Grant, Fergus Garrett, Richard Scott, Wendy Allen, Sara Venn, James McGill.

Explore Hilldrop’s wildlife habitats, brownfield landscapes, insect hotels, ‘ephemeral wetlands’ and green roofs.

Lunch and depart

Presenters

Wendy Allen, Wendy Allen Designs

Award winning garden designer, Best Sustainable Garden RHS Hampton Court 2009, green roofs, community rain gardens,

wendyallendesigns.co.uk

Arit Anderson, Diamond Hill Garden Designs

Award-winning garden designer, Gold Medal Near Future Garden, RHS Hampton Court 2016 (now a permanent garden at the Eden Project), teaches at Capel Manor, one of the BBC Gardeners’ World team.

twitter.com/diamondhill2012

Jon Broome, Jon Broome Architects

Designing sustainable homes Developing sustainable policies and briefs Advising on sustainable construction, specifications and suppliers Bringing together theory and practice to create environmentally sustainable and affordable housing. Building on 20 years of experience of ‘green’ building to incorporate the most cost effective and trouble free measures into the mainstream.

jonbroome.co.uk

Laura Gatti, Studio Laura Gatti

Award-winning landscape designer pioneering the Vertical Forests concept with architect Stefano Boeri bringing hectares of trees into cities with high-rise developments such as Milan’s Bosco Verticale (RIBA International Building Award 2018), the Nanjng Vertical Forest and Forêt Blanche social housing development in Paris.

lauragatti.it

Dusty Gedge, Livingroofs.org, Green Infrastructure Consultancy, President of the EFB

Internationally-recognised green roof policy and design expert and activist, Founder of UK independent advisory organisation Livingroofs.org, Director of the Green Infrastructure Consultancy and President of the European Federation of Green Roof and Wall Associations (EFB), co-author of Small Green Roofs and The Green Roof DIY Guide.

livingroofs.org

greenrooftraining.com/john-little-dusty-gedge

greeninfrastructureconsultancy.com

Gary Grant FCIEEM, Green Infrastructure Consultancy

Ecologist, Fellow of CIEEM, Director of the Green Infrastructure Consultancy, with over 30 years’ experience designing and integrating nature into buildings and urban landscapes, masterplanner, author of Green Roofs and Facades, Ecosystem Services Come to Town - Greening cities by working with nature and The Water Sensitive City.

greeninfrastructureconsultancy.com

Marc Linton, Landscape Architect

Senior Landscape Architect with London Borough of Islington, new-build housing and refurbishment, integrating nature for resilience and health.

islington.gov.uk/business/architects/contact

John Little, Grass Roof Company

Ground-breaking urban greenspace manager of Clapton Park Estate Hackney, the 'Poppy Estate', Director of the Grass Roof Company and Green Roof Shelters, co-author of Small Green Roofs and The Green Roof DIY Guide

grassroofcompany.co.uk

greenroofshelters.co.uk

greenrooftraining.com

James McGill, Entomologist

Entomologist, botanist, ecologist and brownfield invertebrate expert, researching brownfield invertebrate conservation.

Richard Scott, National Wildflower Centre

Director of the National Wildflower Centre, wildflower seed producer and creative conservationist, Chair of the UK Urban Ecology Forum.

edenproject.com/eden-story/our-ethos/national-wildflower-centre

Ed Snodgrass, Emory Knoll Farms

Internationally-celebrated US green roof expert and plantsman, President of Emory Knoll Farms, Maryland USA. Award-winning nurseryman and horticulture specialist.

greenroofplants.com/about/our-people

Sara Venn, Incredible Edible Bristol

Community organiser and activist, urban food grower and educator with Incredible Edible Bristol.

ediblebristol.org.uk

Fergus Garrett, Great Dixter 

Head Gardener and tutor at Great Dixter House & Gardens, horticuturalist, Chief Executive Officer of the Great Dixter Charitable Trust, writer and lecturer.

greatdixter.co.uk/learning/tutors/fergus-garrett

National Wildflower Conversation at Great Dixter, January 2018:

Richard Scott National Wildflower Centre, Fergus Garrett Great Dixter CEO & Head Gardener, arachnologist Andy Philllips, John Little Greenspace Manager Clapton Park Estate Hackney, nature communicator Polly Moseley and others:

https://soundcloud.com/user-292364599/national-wildflower-conversation-1

Supporters

The event is supported by Inside Ecology and Kate Priestman Co-Founder and Editor of Inside Ecology:

www.insideecology.com

www.katepriestman.com

Catering

All food and refreshments are included (vegetarian). Dietary requirements? We are happy to cater for you, just let us know.

Travelling to the Festival

By Train: From London come to Laindon Station on the C2C mainline from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness. We can collect you from Laindon Station on Saturday morning and drop you back at the end of the event.

By Bicycle: Find your route on the Sustrans website using the postcode SS17 8QB. Or bring your bike by train to Stanford-le-Hope (2.5 miles) or Laindon (6 miles) and cycle from there. There is plenty of bike parking at Hilldrop.

By Car: There is limited car parking either at Hilldrop but more in Hordon-on-the-Hill a mile from Hilldrop - we can collect you and drop you back there at the end of the event.

Accommodation

Camping: You are welcome to camp at Hilldrop for the weekend. Come on Friday evening or Saturday morning and stay until Sunday, let us know.

 Local accommodation:

The Bell Inn, Horndon-on-the-Hill https://www.bell-inn.co.uk/

Essex tourist information http://www.visitessex.com/

What to bring with you

Bring sun or rain gear, sturdy footwear for the gardens and green roofs, water bottle, hat, sun cream and all the usual stuff.

The gardens at Hilldrop are fantastic - you are welcome to photograph, video, paint or draw them as you wish.

On Saturday evening, local acoustic musicians will be playing – you’re welcome to bring an instrument and join in.

Any questions?

Just get in touch with the organisers:

John Little grassroofcompany@gmail.com 07967 733 720

Blanche Cameron becameron@hotmail.co.uk 07731 304 966

Aerial view of Hilldrop House and 4 acres of wildlife gardens, green roofs and brownfield landscapes