Level 3 Product & Craft students at West Herts College have embarked on an inspiring live brief set by the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, challenging them to reimagine how wildlife can thrive within city spaces.
This project challenged students to develop creative and sustainable solutions that combine modern design with environmental consciousness, exploring habitats for species such as squirrels, frogs, hedgehogs, birds and bees.
Seeking to address the plight of urban wildlife, this project aims to foster biodiversity and create habitats for threatened species within the limited confines of urban spaces. This will bridge the gap between humanity and the natural world whilst serving as a testament to the power of conscious and modern design in the most unexpected of places.
Students spent several weeks researching different species, initiating ideas, developing concepts and testing their solutions to prepare them for presenting their final outcomes. Each student spoke confidently about their process and how they came to their final design. This project was beneficial for advancing their crafting and communication skills whilst improving their understanding of meeting the needs of a client.
The winning student was Zack, whose winning design focused on creating a decomposable frog habitat. “I found the project interestingly challenging and felt it necessary to include more than one feature,” Zack later articulated, “I was excited to work with the Trust to help raise awareness of the natural world.”
Amy from Herts Wildlife Trust also shared her thoughts on setting the brief to the students. “I was truly impressed by the incredible amount of time, effort and creativity the students invested in this project,” said Amy, “Their research was outstanding, and the final pieces showcased an amazing diversity of ideas and exceptional quality—making it nearly impossible to choose a single winner! Many of the runners-up were equally deserving of recognition for their innovation and determination. It was inspiring to see how students overcame challenges throughout the planning and production stages and spoke confidently and passionately about their work. Being part of this project was an absolute privilege.”
Following on from Amy’s comments, every student who participated has proven their commitment to sustainability through their hard work and creativity.
If you would like to find out more information about the Product & Craft course offered at West Herts College and taking part in projects such as this, please visit their website or drop into their campus.
