Large Nature Pond Building – Fridays 10am – 4pm – 27 June to 15 August 2025
We are running an eight-week learning opportunity at our Hawkwood site in Chingford from 27 June to build a large nature pond / reservoir.
In this project, participants will engage in a shared learning experience with other volunteers of different backgrounds and gain an understanding of how to create a large pond that increases the biodiversity of the growing site at Hawkwood and functions as a water reservoir.
In eight consecutive Fridays, the participants will build timber constructions to retain the soil around the excavation site, cover the area with underlay and pond liner, backfill it with sand and gravel and install an aeration piping system to keep the future plants and creatures happy. While not providing a formal qualification, this learning opportunity will include presentations on relevant topics and exercises to reinforce participant’s learning.
This opportunity will run alongside our regular Friday volunteering programme, and a free plant-based lunch will be provided.
Shipping Container Green Roof Build Camp – from 6pm on Monday 6 October to afternoon of Saturday 11 October 2025
We are running a five-day
Build Camp at our Hawkwood site in Chingford from 6 October to build an Extensive Green Roof across an array of four shipping containers.
Organiclea has hosted build camps in the past in the construction of our Woodland Classroom, and we’d like to bring back the build camp experience for this new project. In this project, participants will be building a 30 metre long, 2.5 metre wide extensive green roof spanning four shipping containers. The build will include the use of hand and power tools in timber construction, working with different synthetic roofing materials, filling the roof with different types of soil and substrate, and seeding/planting the roof. The camp will be led by Organiclea coop members and Infrastructure Workers Katja Benkel and Shannon Thaden, who have years of experience in natural building.
We recommend taking part in this as a residential camp, and you bring your own tent, van or caravan to sleep in (non-residential places are also available; please let us know in your request to take part if you do not wish to camp on site). We will provide the work, training and support – and the ingredients for us to cook a vegan breakfast, lunch and dinner from Monday evening meal to Saturday lunch. You can bring other food if you wish to fill the gaps between meals. We have a mini-fridge and mini-freezer for anything you want to bring along.
To take part you need to be physically fit, have basic experience with tools, be comfortable working at height, and over 18. Camping during the build means living outdoors in basic conditions.
We know it’s a commitment, but we’d love it if you can be with us for the whole of the five days, we will be working 9:30am-4:30pm from Tuesday to Friday (with time for lunch) and 9am – 1pm on the Saturday. Showers are available on site. The group will agree guidelines about how we interact with each other, as well as providing a space to discuss any concerns you might have about health and safety whilst you are on site with us.
To Apply: Please write to shannon@organiclea.org.uk with a paragraph about why you would like to take part in one of these builds.
