New Directions Forest
A Calming Space By The Airport.
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Trees
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Square Meters
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Native Species
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Youth Impacted
The students of New Directions all come from challenging and some of the most vulnerable situations in the borough of Newham. New Directions is located 350m away from the end of City Airport's runway, with airplanes taking off and landing throughout the day. Planting a forest here will create a noise barrier and also assist in removing harmful pollutants from the air. The school has very little green space, so this forest will offer a place for biodiversity to gain a foothold while giving students a much-needed connection to nature and a space for calm and shelter.
Forest Maker
Adrian Wong
Planting: April 2025
De-paving
Creating the New Directions pocket forest was far from a straightforward task. What initially seemed like a simple greening project quickly turned into a surprising challenge. As the team began digging beneath the surface, they discovered not just asphalt, but an unexpected and stubborn layer of concrete hidden beneath the topsoil.
What was meant to be a smooth process soon turned into a major obstacle. The thick concrete made excavation slow and difficult, turning a routine job into a much bigger undertaking than anyone had anticipated.
