Mycelium Ecology Project
In the Autumn of 2022 Revoke & Bethnal Green Nature Reserve co-hosted an eleven-week research, design and build project exploring mushroom and mycelium ecologies. The project was designed as an experimental school, mirroring the structure of “mycorrhizal networks”, connecting our communities with an expansive network of mentors, collaborators and mycelium growing traditions.
Several mycelium species were selected to grow at the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve, chosen for their ecological scarcity, medicinal and nutritional properties.
These include Lions Mane, Jelly Ears, Chicken of the Woods, Turkey Tails and Birch Polypore. The long-term legacy of the project is to provide food and medicine for our communities, while offering learning opportunities amongst residents, school groups and social prescribing networks.
The new mushroom habitat will also contribute towards our long-term ambition to develop the Nature Reserve into an alternative centre for learning about social and land-based ecologies.
About Revoke
Revoke is a grassroots organisation advocating for the rights and welfare of underserved young people, particularly refugees, asylum seekers, and those in the care system, living without advocates, families, power, or a voice. By recognising the brutality of the political, economic, and bureaucratic systems these young people battle every day, Revoke take a holistic approach to their care, prioritising compassion, empathy, and respect.
Revokes values are rooted in abolition principles and trauma-informed practices. Revoke is founded by a team with lived experience of migration; racism; learning English as an additional language; and the trauma of displacement. This creates a strong connection to the young people we work with, as we aim to give them the tools, education, and confidence to advocate for themselves and restore the rights they’ve had revoked.
For more information on how to get involved and help care for the space please email info@bethnalgreennaturereserve.org
Supported by Postcode Society Trust.
