Early work
Story of Place for NW Plymouth
A partner project with Westcountry Rivers Trust to connect water, people and place in N.W. Plymouth through community engagement and environmental stewardship. The project enabled us to learn about the work of the Friends of Ernesettle Creek & Budshead Wood and centred on creating a 'Story of Place', a regenerative design practice.
Creating a "Story of Place" asks 'who' a place is and how it functions, from the beginning of geological time to the present day
The Story of Place for NW Plymouth, came out of an exploratory partnership between BLC and Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT) in 2019. It was conceived as part of a three-year programme, known as Plymouth Riverkeepers, which aimed to foster a deep connection between local communities and their water resources, with a focus on the small, often overlooked streams in an urban environment.
Key aspects of the project include:
- Engaging local residents who have intimate knowledge of the area and a passion for nature conservation.
- Addressing the aftermath of a serious pollution incident in the Tamerton stream that decimated the local fish population.
- Developing a "Story of Place" to reveal hidden aspects and true value of the local environment.
- Identifying and collaborating with "network nodes" - individuals and groups already working towards similar goals in the area.
- Establishing a citizen-led water monitoring program across 11 locations in the river catchment.
The programme came about as a result of funding provided by South West Water to WRT as an alternative to prosecution for a particular pollution incident. This aim of this arrangement is to more directly benefit urban waterways in Plymouth, particularly in the Northwest area where each neighborhood and waterbody has a distinct character.
