This was a project undertaken with University College London. Artist Emily Stapleton-Jefferis, myself, and scientist Charlie Outhwaite developed workshops to take place in several local community gardens. By blending science communication, art and mythology we wanted to find space for as many types of people as possible. The workshops involved children finding insects in basic traps set up by myself, and with the help of Charlie, we identified each insect. Then we encouraged the adults and children to detail a clay tile using locally foraged clay slip that we had made earlier. These tiles were collected to form a mosaic of species, many repeated but some were only seen once or twice, reflecting their rarity. As participants created their clay tiles we discussed mythologies from their respective cultures that related to insects and gardening.

Community gardens tend to have a subtle but profound socio-political goal; by manifesting enriched environments in under-served communities, positive change grows out from the community garden in a proportional and sensitive way. Like the process of plants and insects adapting to one another creates an ecosystem, so too by trusting in local communities to build their own needs into projects, organisers can take a facilitating role which leads to healthier outcomes.