nature hubs
about nature hubs
The Nature Hubs project expands the ‘Caustic Bloom’ initiative, founded and led by ZEST artist James Hewins, transforming 2,000 square meters of neglected urban land in Southampton into thriving wildflower areas.
This initiative integrates ecological restoration with art, science, and community engagement through workshops and volunteer sessions.
This project is supported with Nature Hubs Funding.
The Nature Hubs Fund aims to widen community access to green spaces and bring people together through nature.
Nature Hubs funding is a partnership between environmental charity Hubbub and Starbucks UK.
This project aims to transform grasslands and verges around Southampton into wildflower areas, involving local people and the arts in the rewilding process.
Key objectives
Restore biodiversity through wildflower planting
Engage the community via workshops and volunteering
Promote sustainable art practices using natural materials
Foster collaboration among residents, scientists, ecologists, and artists
Project locations
The project focused on four key sites in Southampton:
Dorset Street
Old Northam Road
Queens Way
Winkle Street
Ecological restoration and wildflower planting in these locations involved: site preparation, grass removal, soil enrichment (lime, biochar, mycorrhizal fungi), and seed planting, followed by ongoing maintenance.
sustainable Arts workshops
Across the course of the re-wilding and conservation aspects of the project, four bespoke public arts workshops took place. The workshops encouraged participants to develop new skills in sustainable art practices and learn about the importance of biodiversity in their local areas through playful and experimental creativity.
Image gallery
Two of the workshops were delivered in partnership with ZEST’s new art club Art Waves, led by Lucie Smith, Alice Louisa, Alex Sutherland, and Sophie Rawlingson.
In ‘Hide and Seek in Nature’, participants used flowers, blackberries, mud, and other natural materials gathered from Caustic Bloom patches to design their very own camouflage prints onto masks and t-shirts donated by Naomi house hospice. Together, they explored how nature uses disguise to survive and thrive, from leaves to wildlife patterns.
Check out the image gallery below to see more from the arts workshops and re-wilding efforts.
