Portfolio - Thomas Nutt - MLA Landscape Architecture

Thomas Nutt Portfolio

Undergraduate Degree –Ecology &

Wildlife Conservation

The University of Reading

The deep connectivity I feel to the natural world and my desire to continually discover more about it in order to be part of the solution to create a wilder world fighting against both the biodiversity and climate crisis, led me to persue this degree.

Modules covered a broad range of areas with many having a more focused zoological approach for example Introduction to Entomology being one which was truly inspiring and widened my horizons into the world of insects. With others providing a basis and understanding of ecological functions and conservation and restoration of ecosystem at a landscape scale, for example Ecology and Environmental Management. Through this module, I was able to express and delve deeper into my interest in rewilding and natural regeneration of landscape and ecosystems. My understanding of these fields grew from researching journal articles and papers to include in my essays and assignments.

I have been very lucky to visit the Knepp rewilding project on a few occasions, most recently observing the change beavers have had on the land there and in the Rewilded Garden which turns traditional horticultural on its head.

Dissertation – Is There a Difference In Carabidae Community Structure Across a Range of Suburban Green Spaces?

I believe urban and suburban green spaces can offer great value to biodiversity and are a vital part of fighting against biodiversity loss and fragmentation. This led me to design a study which investigated the biodiversity value of three types of green space: Allotments; Gardens; and Parks.

Carabidae, or more commonly known as Ground Beetles, were used as the indicator for biodiversity. Their abundance, species richness and diversity were tested in the study. 20 species were recorded across the 9 study sites, of which there were 1,213 individual Carabidae which I identified individually under the microscope to species level.

“By increasing the biodiversity in urban and suburban areas, it will connect more people to wildlife and the natural world around them (Carijn & Pim, 2015), in turn making the population more aware and engaged with the environment and therefore more likely to be inclined to protect it.”

Poecilus versicolor Extract

Creativity in my Degree

In many points during the degree I was able to showcase my creative thinking and design skills. One such example is an assignment in the module Birds: Diversity, Behaviour and Conservation. An assignment for this module was to create a video showcasing an endangered bird which is either native or migratory to the UK. Our group selected the Balearic Shearwater which is the only critically endangered seabird in Europe. I worked closely with another member of the group to create the storyboard and design ideas. The assignment received a first class mark. The short film is available to watch below.

I have created my own diagrams throughout my degree to further illustrate the concepts I am conveying in my assignments and essays. On the right is an example of one such diagram which depicts the process of eutrophication during the Late Devonian period which is believed to be one of the causes of the mass extinction event which occurred during this time.

Street Tree Planting Project 2021 - Present

Inspired by another local street tree planting project, I contacted those who were responsible and they provided valuable information and insight in how to create a similar scheme. Then through canvassing the local residents on my road created a group of residents who wanted to be involved with the project. This then expanded the scheme to the adjoining road.

Our aim was to plant trees in the verges along both roads to improve the aesthetic value of the area but also for benefits for people, biodiversity and the environment alike. This led me to write proposals and present them to the Parish Council, Community Board and the local residents to receive their support. In addition to this I chose the tree species, made the planting plans and tackled lots of barriers we faced.

75outof84HouseholdsContributed

70+TreesPlanted

Winners of The Proud of Bucks Community Group

ContributionAward2022

Challenges

Utility companies created obstacles, one such being Cadent’s policy on trees around their pipes, which is unfounded and would prevent most urban tree planting even in private gardens. Through advice from connecting with Bristol Tree Group and Forest Research we were able to overcome this.

Street Planting Design

My design choices of the two roads were to create individuality and reference the history of the area. While also being suitable for being planted in verges, be beneficial for wildlife and be resilient to climate change. Below the design of each road is explained.

Sandelswood End

This is a 1km long avenue which has existing old Cherry trees in the verges at one end and these trees used to line the whole length of the road but have been absent for over 20 years. This area used to be Cherry Orchards up to the middle of the 20th Century and therefore I aimed to regain this sense of place into the road. Due to the formal nature of the straight avenue, cherry trees fit the more formal setting. The variety ‘Sunset Boulevard’ was selected as it was bred to be a street tree with non-

Howe Drive

Has a more informal feel to Sandelswood End being a horseshoe shape. This led to Common Hawthorn being selected as the tree species, which extends the period for blossom and the benefits for pollinators. This species has huge benefits for wildlife with around 300 insect species being associated.

Before & After

Future Plans

• Other roads and local resident groups have already expressed their interest in doing a similar scheme and we are providing support to make their process as smooth as possible to avoid the obstacles we faced.

• I am collaborating with one of the residents from the original project group to work with the Town Council on more tree planting schemes along street verges as well as looking to plant trees and herbaceous beds along the town’s high street.

• I have been asked to attend the Parish Council’s Open Spaces committee to provide advice from an ecological point of view.

Thank You Card for Residents

I created thank you notes for the residents who contributed and will be watering the trees through their first two years to help them get established. I wanted to demonstrate our sincere thanks and provide additional care and watering advice. I used watercolours to create the images, with Hawthorn blossom on the front of the card and Cherry blossom on the reverse.

Botanical Watercolours

Gardening

I have loved gardening for as long as I can remember, it brings me peace, allows me to feel connected to the seasons and understand my place in the wider environment. I love naturalistic garden design and have been incredibly lucky that my family has given me full reign to design and drastically change our garden from a more typical lawn with borders into a cohesive design with journeys, motifs and huge opportunities for wildlife. It is still a very young garden with the structure yet to provide its required presence to ground the layered herbaceous planting. However it provides a very diverse habitat which is romantic and relaxed, suiting my personal brief for my family home and

Before planting two large herbaceous borders

Two years since planting

Floristry

Another passion of mine is floristry, it allows one to be intimate with the plants which normally are part of a broader context in a garden or in the wild. One strong belief of mine is sustainable floristry and that we should be able to grow all our own flowers for the house in our own gardens, reducing carbon emissions and the need for plastic, pesticides and herbicides in their production and transport. I have a few

Music

Music, alongside drama, is a huge part of how I express my creativity. I have a Royal Academy of Music singing diploma (ARSM), I was a member of the National Youth Boys Choir, Head Chorister at Holy Trinity Cookham and performed in a few operas. I also play the violin at grade 8 standard.

I have been retraining my voice for a few years as a countertenor and recently did my first concert since 2020. In sixth form I wrote my EPQ on the countertenor voice and received an A*. I hope to continue to gain more confidence and experience with performance as my voice continues to settle and develop.

I Know A Bank – Britten A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream

Vedro Con Mio

Diletto - Vivaldi