Another year, another amazing (and slightly bizarre) Green Week here at Stride Treglown. Our theme for 2017 was ‘WILD’.
We wanted to get people thinking about the importance of nature for our physical and mental wellbeing, and how, as designers, we can incorporate more ‘wild’ into the places and spaces we create.
Here’s what we got up to:
#WildGreenWeek Photo Competition
An open photo competition for the public, clients and staff to show us their best photographs of nature reclaiming the man-made. Photos were submitted on Instagram and Twitter and are displayed on www.wildgreenweek.com.
The winning entry is below, with James bagging himself a Cacoon hanging tent (which was hanging from our Bristol office cedar tree during the week).
#wildmanchester @StrideTreglown pic.twitter.com/sFowpyVW3k
— James R (@jam_rich1) May 19, 2017
Wild Animal Visit
Both our Cardiff and Bristol offices were visited by some interesting animals on Friday. Snakes, tarantulas, scorpions, tortoises and… a Shetland pony!
We’re now available for circa 2006 hip hop videos (cc @diddy) pic.twitter.com/LNuxwDSwCc
— Stride Treglown (@StrideTreglown) June 16, 2017
Some special guests popped into the @StrideTreglown Cardiff office today #BusinessGreenWeek #WildGreenWeek Thanks to David at Animal Zone UK pic.twitter.com/CU8mDAWyks
— Claire Symons (@LandscapeClaire) June 16, 2017
It’s all going on @StrideTreglown today! We’ve got a horse in our garden! #wildgreenweek @CoraKwiat pic.twitter.com/P3G4t6cDAh
— Jacqui (@Jacqui_pollard) June 16, 2017
5 to 9 Micro Adventure
In the spirit of an initiative started by author and adventurer, Alastair Humphreys, we reversed the 9-to-5 by leaving the office for a micro-adventure. After spending a night in nature, we returned ready for work the next morning.
One group trekked 8.9 miles from our Bristol office to the Cadbury Camp Iron Age Fort. They cooked over an open fire, shared stories and slept under the stars. Another group drove down to Croyd at 5pm for a surf and a pint, returning at 9am ready for work.
The day after our awsome Micro-adventure sleeping under the stars last night #BusinessGreenWeek! @StrideTreglown pic.twitter.com/AYn5hJlFck
— Clare Billany (@ClareBillany) June 15, 2017
The reward of a 5am start @StrideTreglown #WildGreenWeek 5-to-9 microadventure pic.twitter.com/t5I4ZprQUF
— Rob Delius (@RobDelius) June 15, 2017
Colin Moody’s ‘We Are One’ Project
Photographer and radio DJ, Colin Moody, came to tell us about his ‘We Are One’ project: an attempt to photograph 1% of Bristol’s population in order to create one composite portrait.
His ambitious project is a reaction to world events, with the aim of promoting unity at a time when global news focuses on division.
He then took a photo of everybody in the Bristol office, with the results below. Don’t we look a friendly bunch!
This is what our Bristol office looks like, female and male faces merged. From @MoodyColin‘s amazing #WeAreOne project. #WildgreenWeek pic.twitter.com/Hkkx1HNEtZ
— Stride Treglown (@StrideTreglown) June 14, 2017
Avon Wildlife Walk
Our Bath office went on a walking tour of the local area, hosted by Avon Wildlife Trust, to find our more about the nature on their doorstep.
@StrideTreglown #WildGreenWeek Thanks to @avonwt for a really interesting guided walk around the woods and park near our Bath office pic.twitter.com/gixuaZoDdO
— Ben Holbrook (@benh1982) June 12, 2017
Bournville Bees
Our Bournville office met Bournville Village Trust resident beekeepers, Ian and Colin, from Bournville Beekeepers. Both are former Cadbury’s employees, whose love of beekeeping developed into a joint venture keeping bees in and around public spaces in Bournville, such as the Bournville Village Trust Headquarters (where Stride Treglown Birmingham are based), Rowheath Pavilion and Selly Manor Museum.
The afternoon started off with a presentation in the office over lunch, followed by suiting up to inspect a hive.
One more from #WildGreenWeek – Our Bournville office learn about beekeeping from @BournvilleBees who keep hives in local public areas pic.twitter.com/N0wonkoyLi
— Stride Treglown (@StrideTreglown) June 21, 2017
Wild and Rustic Food
Pop-up catering company, Wild and Rustic, set up shop outside the office and shared tastes of their countryside-inspired cooking.
Founded in 2014 by Laurence Aspey, who has worked within Rosette and Michelin starred establishments and for names such as Jamie Oliver and Gennaro Contaldo, Wild and Rustic uses local suppliers, seasonal ingredients and organic veg.
Oooh @WildandRustic have arrived for our #WildGreenWeek Friday lunch pic.twitter.com/LLeYNux2rx
— Stride Treglown (@StrideTreglown) June 16, 2017
Wild Yoga
Too keep us fit, our Bath and Bristol teams enjoyed some ‘wild yoga’ during a sunny Thursday lunchtime with local yoga teachers Wild Wolfs.
#WildYoga with Wild Wolfs Yoga at our Bristol office this lunchtime. #WildGreenWeek #DownwardWolf #WildWIldWIld #30DaysWild pic.twitter.com/BgWvaAyxA2
— Stride Treglown (@StrideTreglown) June 15, 2017
Taking a break from the office – #Wild #Yoga lunchtime with @KaraYogaDance ‘wild animals’ @StrideTreglown #businessgreenweek #WildGreenWeek pic.twitter.com/AhHU5HXepa
— Rachel Bell (@rachelj_bell) June 15, 2017
All-in-all, a very successful, very busy, very wild Green Week! Suggestions for next years’ theme welcome, or if you would like to come in and do a talk or tell us about your project, please get in touch.
What is Green Week?
Green Week is an annual week of themed days designed to raise the profile of sustainability, both internally at Stride Treglown and externally to local businesses, communities and clients.
It aims to give people a better understanding of sustainable issues, the part we can all play in reducing our carbon footprint, and how we can help our local communities.
Previous years’ highlights include:
– Publication of our 52 Big Ideas for Bristol book
– Top Gear style Man v Machine race across Bristol
– Opening of our office allotments
– Candle lit speaking event at Redcliffe caves
– Design a bird box competition
– Shared local meals