Our story starts at Yarmouth Primary School, a small coastal school nestled in the Isle of Wight’s UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Here, we launched the Vertipool project, an initiative that took shape when we invited the school’s children to join us on a creative exploration of coastal squeeze, sea level rise, and the future challenges facing coastal communities worldwide.
Working with musician and songwriter Spike Oatley and artist Ian Whitmore, alongside the children and teachers, we brought climate change to life in unexpected ways. Together, we sang about coastal squeeze, danced a ‘rising sea level dance,’ and even created an animation showing how Vertipools provide habitats for shoreline wildlife. The project culminated in the hands-on construction of a real Vertipool, a living example of nature-inspired design.
This was "Shaping Better Places" in action, a collaborative effort funded by the Solent Forum, APE UK, and Artecology, with funding bids managed by Natural Enterprise.
What began as a unique partnership between scientists, artists, and children has since grown into a globally recognised intertidal habitat project, connecting with environmental agencies and universities worldwide. It’s remarkable to think how a small coastal school sparked such far-reaching inspiration.
Building Resilient Communities Through Creativity
At Artecology, our CoCreate approach is all about empowering communities to tackle urgent environmental challenges, from biodiversity loss to climate tipping points. By engaging young people in hands-on, creative projects, we foster awareness, connection, and real-world action.
Looking back, we hope our early work with these children over a decade ago left a lasting impact. Perhaps they’ve grown into environmentally conscious young adults, equipped with the knowledge and motivation to drive positive change. By nurturing environmental responsibility and resilience from an early age, we aim to inspire communities to shape a sustainable future, on a planet that’s changing faster than ever.
