From grey to green
You’ll need
- Coloured pens or pencils
- String
- Scissors
- Gardening gloves (one for each person, pair or to shared between a group)
- Recycled lolly sticks or round pebbles
- Thin recycled card
- Donated plants
- Recycled plant pots
- Recycled plastic bottles
- Old wellies or a colander
- Peat free, multi-purpose compost
Talk to the community
Get out and about in your community to see if anyone will donate some plants to help with your project. You could think about approaching garden centres, supermarkets and allotments. Many people have old plant pots in their garden that aren’t used, so why not collect used plant pots from people in your community and recycle them for your project?
The Activity
The activity you choose to do with your group will depend on the plants that have been donated. You can do one, two, or all three of the ideas outlined below.
Be sure to wear gloves when gardening and always wash your hands after the activity!
- Start by introducing the plants that have been donated. Explain the significance of growing your own using the ‘Food for thought’ poster; the significance of wild flowers in giving local wildlife a home using the ‘What is biodiversity?’ poster; and the positive impact that plants can have on a person’s well-being. There’s a reason that flowers are given to celebrate an event, mark a special occasion and to cheer people up at difficult times.
- Ask your group to fill planters with the peat-free, multi-purpose compost, then plant the donated plants/herbs.
- Encourage the group to make little signs, made from recycled wooden lolly sticks or pebbles, to put into the planters to encourage people who find them to pick them. Younger groups might need your help with writing, but they can decorate the signs themselves. Some examples include:
Herbs on the high street
You might write…
'Take a few leaves of parsley to sprinkle on your salad.'
'Tear off a handful of basil to add to a veggie lasagne.'
'Make a cup of herbal tea with a handful of mint.'
Sign off with the name of your Scout group. You may choose to add a social media handle if this is something your group already uses.
- Go out to your chosen places and leave the planters for people to discover.
And/or
Create a buzz
'We’re creating a buzz in [name of town]. These important plants will provide food, a home and a place to breed for our local bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.'
Sign off with the name of your Scout group. You may choose to add a social media handle if this is something your group already uses.
- Go out to your chosen places and leave the planters for people to discover.
And/or
Happy plants
We planted this here to say…
'You are blooming awesome!'
'I be-leaf in you!'
'You had me at aloe.'
'You got this – encourage-mint!'
'I’m rooting for you!'
Sign off with the name of your Scout group. You may choose to add a social media handle if this is something your group already uses.
- Go out to your chosen places and leave the planters for people to discover.
This activity helps contribute towards some of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Find out more about the SDGs, and how Scouts across the world are getting involved.
Reflection
Everyone has undertaken activities that helped them engage with the local community, increase biodiversity and help improve people’s wellbeing. How did it feel to do these activities? Were you excited about connecting with the community and how did it make the community feel? What do you hope will happen next? What do you think the benefit of ‘greener’ spaces could be to your local community and how will you help people access these spaces you have created?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
- Outdoor activities
You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast, and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.
- Animals and insects
Be aware of the risks before interacting with animals. Be aware of anyone with allergies, and make alternative arrangements for them.
- Gardening and nature
Everyone must wash their hands after the activity has finished. Wear gloves if needed. Explain how to safely use equipment and set clear boundaries so everyone knows what’s allowed.
- Scissors
Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using scissors. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.
- Hiking and walking
Follow the guidance for activities in Terrain Zero, or the guidance for each the adventurous activity.
- Rubbish and recycling
All items should be clean and suitable for this activity.
If you can, give older groups the chance to approach local businesses to ask for their support with this project.
As this activity involves going out into your local community, consider accessible routes for any young people with mobility issues. You should consider whether materials for planting are at a level that can be easily worked on by wheelchair users too.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
Take photographs and videos as a record of what you have done, and carry out interviews with people in the community to ask what they think. You could also share some of these on social media.
Why not see if you could encourage your community to let your group manage a piece of land, such as a community allotment, where you can grow your own food? You could bring in members of the community to find out more about Scouts and A Million Hands.
Backyard Nature aims to get all children and young people to spend more time enjoying and protecting nature where they live. They believe everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy nature and the tools to protect it.
Discover more at https://www.wwf.org.uk/