The Open Landscape Classroom Trying to Open Young Minds to Climate Change

Photo of Cove Park overlooking Loch Long by Lucette Wood

Out on the idyllic Rosneath peninsula overlooking Loch Long on Scotland’s West coast sits Cove Park, an art residency centre that has been operating for more than 20 years located on a 50-acre park. The park is constructing an open landscape classroom in the run-up to the COP26 climate conference taking place next month in Glasgow.

The classroom is part of the Future by Design project, commissioned by the British Council to engage young people in the climate crisis through culture in the build-up to COP26. The project is a collaboration with the park, Scottish architect Tom Morton, Ghana based artist Mae-Ling Lokko, and local architect, engineer and design students and young professionals.

Sarah Frood, Director of facilities, said: “We have various projects running this year which are associated with the climate crisis. Future by design is one. The project is about supporting the young people who live locally to think about different ways in which they can use materials to undertake workshops or art projects or create things.

“What our cohort did was design the structure which is looking at the idea of Scottish rainforests. In Scotland, there is a percentage of forest which are classed as rainforest and a lot is in Argyll. All the timber is locally sourced and created by hand. It was a group of students and young professionals involved in the design and construction of the structure.”

The outdoor classroom in Cove Park. Photo by Lucette Wood

The project is spread across two locations: Cove Park and Efua Sutherland Children’s Park in Accra, Ghana. Efua Sutherland park is Accra’s largest green space and struggles with flooding.

Frood said: “The project that is being designed in Ghana is to manage the water in the park to make the park more usable. Engaging with the local community to help them think about where the water was coming from and how it is managed and how it should be cleaned or not cleaned.”

The educational side of the project started in the summer with young professionals hosting workshops for local children with activities such as natural dying, forging and model making.

Emma Henderson, Curator of Engagement, said: “The local schools are often looking for spaces that they can take the kids to for outdoor learning. The classroom has that little bit of structure and that kind of outdoor space lends itself brilliantly to those outdoor moments.

“Mae-Ling Lokko came over and made the mycelium that is going to be installed in the classroom. We then ordered a bit extra and I worked with two of the local schools recently, we made some mycelium panels then we went on a little mushroom hunt around the site and introduced them to the classroom. It was really exciting for them to see and feel they were a part of putting something together.”

The outdoor classroom is due to be completed just before COP26 opening on the 29th of October. The park will soon be announcing a public programme with events on climate issues hosted at the classroom.