The fashion industry is responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions and is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Each of us makes a conscious choice every day with what we wear, but how often do we consider the environmental impact of our wardrobe? Thankfully, DIRT Charity is making waves to address this pressing issue by driving systemic change with the introduction of regenerative standards in the fashion textiles industry.

On September 24, 2024, DIRT Charity, in collaboration with the Biodynamic Federation Demeter International (BFDI), launched the Demeter Textile Standards — a groundbreaking certification system designed to revolutionise how fashion is produced, processed, and disposed of. These standards cover ten key raw materials, including cotton, wool, silk, leather, and emerging alternatives like mushroom leather. The goal is to ensure every step of the supply chain positively impacts the environment, from sustainable farming practices to compostable end-of-life disposal.

Unlike existing certifications, the Demeter Textile Standards take a holistic approach. The standards certify that garments are produced in a way that enhances soil health, reduces water usage, eliminates toxic chemicals, and prioritizes fair treatment of workers. Each part of the garment, from the fabrics to the dyes and even the buttons, is held to strict environmental and social guidelines. The aim is to create a truly regenerative fashion industry that not only reduces its environmental footprint but actively restores ecosystems.

DIRT Charity’s founder, Arizona Muse, highlights the importance of this shift: “We recognize the urgent need for more sustainable practices in the fashion industry. By collaborating with Demeter, we are
paving the way for a more environmentally conscious and responsible approach to textile production. Now all we need from you, the consumers, is to demand the Demeter label on your clothes.”

As consumers, we have the power to demand change, and with the Demeter Textile Standards, we can choose garments that meet the highest environmental and ethical standards. By transforming the fashion supply chain, DIRT Charity is paving the way for fashion to become part of the solution, not the problem.

For more information on DIRT Charity’s collaboration with Demeter and the new textile standards, please visit www.dirt.charity/demeter-standards.

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A Day of Learning how to plant your own food, while maintaining a full life with Jess Gough.

During our time together we will learn:

• How to set up a new growing space
• How to plan for the growing year ahead
• How to sow seeds & care for plants
• Companion planting
• How to manage pest levels
• How to Harvest and preserve harvests
• Aspects of fermentation
• Learn about how the ducks, chickens contribute to the garden

About Jess Gough:
Jess started an Instagram account called @happy_smallholding with the aim of helping people to grow food. She places a strong emphasis on gardening organically, showing people how to promote biodiversity on the vegetable patch to foster resilience and productivity.  Jess grows almost all her own vegetables on her smallholding in Somerset. Motivated by the hugely positive impact gardening has had on her own life, Jess is on a mission to inspire & help others to grow. She is passionate about removing barriers to growing food, especially time, space, confidence, and money.

A bit about Bees to a Flower
Bees to a Flower is a Primal Gathering initiative that encourages people, past participants, their friends and the extended community to act as bee’s to a flower to their local community ‘flower’ projects. Actively pollinating the wider ecosystem with the support they need while learning new and empowering skills.

Tickets available here – Use code EARTHEDB2F and get 10% off tickets.

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In a world where our populations are booming and cities are expanding, many of us find ourselves surrounded by concrete jungles with little access to nature. Amidst this urban sprawl, a powerful movement is emerging to reclaim and revitalise our green spaces. This grassroots effort transforms neglected areas into vibrant pockets of greenery, bringing together communities and promoting environmental stewardship. Not only does it have the potential to transform neglected space into beautiful spaces, but more often than not they directly impact air quality, build biodiversity, bring joy and community connection.

In this blog, we cover the basics of what guerrilla gardening is, but we also point you in the direction of some essential tools so you can become a guerrilla gardener yourself. Spoiler alert: in our newest (free) challenge with Ellen Miles, you can become a Guerrilla Gardener in 28-days!

What is Guerrilla Gardening?

Guerrilla gardening is a grassroots movement where individuals or groups cultivate plants in neglected, public, or private spaces. It’s an act of environmental activism, aiming to beautify urban areas, grow food, and reclaim unused land for the community, and is often undertaken without seeking permission from councils and governing bodies. Guerrilla gardeners might plant flowers, vegetables, or native species to improve the look and feel of neighbourhoods, build biodiversity, improve air quality and reconnect with nature. You could consider it to be a blend of gardening, art, and protest, transforming cities from grey to green.

The Modern History…

Guerrilla gardening isn’t a new phenomenon. Throughout history, people have taken it upon themselves to retain and restore nature in their surroundings. From ancient agricultural practices to medieval gleaning rights, communities have always sought ways to cultivate and protect their green spaces.

The contemporary guerrilla gardening movement began to take shape in the 1970s, particularly in New York City. The Green Guerrillas, founded by Liz Christy in 1973, transformed vacant lots into community gardens, sparking a global movement. This spirit of reclaiming urban spaces spread worldwide, inspiring similar efforts in cities across the globe.

1973, New York City: The Green Guerrillas start transforming derelict land into gardens, igniting a movement.
1996, London: Richard Reynolds begins guerrilla gardening in his local neighbourhood, eventually founding GuerrillaGardening.org, a global platform for activists.
2004, Los Angeles: Guerrilla gardening gains traction with activists targeting freeway medians and neglected public spaces.
2012, Cape Town: The Cape Town Green Guerrillas start turning abandoned spaces into urban farms and gardens.

Essential Resources…

Guerrilla gardening has inspired numerous projects and publications. Here are a few notable examples and resources:

“The Guerrilla Gardening Handbook” by Ellen Miles

Offers practical advice and inspiring stories from around the world. Ellen Miles, a prominent advocate for urban greening, has written several influential books on the subject. Her works provide invaluable insights and practical guidance.

GuerrillaGardening.org: Richard Reynolds’ website offers a wealth of information, from practical tips to global initiatives.

“Guerrilla Gardening: A Manualfesto” by David Tracey: A comprehensive guide on how to start your own guerrilla gardening project.

National Park City: Learn about a grassroots movement for everyone making our city greener, healthier and wilder.

Learn to Become a Guerrilla Gardener in 28-Days, with Earthed’s Guerrilla Gardening Challenge

We at Earthed are thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of our Guerrilla Gardening Challenge, in collaboration with the wonderful Ellen Miles. This practical course is hosted online, with 5 live check ins with Ellen and the Earthed team. By the end of the challenge, you will have transformed a neglected corner of your neighbourhood. This live course inspires people and communities to reclaim and transform the neglected corners of their communities, which can have a positive impact on mental and physical health, as well as build positive relationships. Stay tuned for more details on how you can get involved in Earthed’s guerrilla gardening challenge for free!

Guerrilla gardening is more than just planting seeds; it’s about sowing the seeds of change. Join us in this green revolution and help cultivate a more sustainable, beautiful world.

The post What Is Guerrilla Gardening? A Concise Guide. appeared first on Earthed.

The brand has a long history of campaigning for the protection of the natural world. This includes creating the first certified organic skincare line, helping to ban plastic microbeads, and most recently their Stand by Bees campaign. And as the world’s first CarbonNeutral® high street retailer, Neal’s Yard Remedies continue to pioneer ways of supporting people and our beautiful planet.

To celebrate the launch of our first collaborative course, Activating your Activism: Planting Seeds for Change with Tayshan Hayden-Smith, we chatted with Neal’s Yard Remedies co-founder, Anabel Kindersley.

Discussing nature-based solutions, activism, and the role of business within communities. Learn more about Neal’s Yard Remedies and why they’re the perfect partner of Earthed.

Q&A with Anabel Kindersley

Q: Here at Earthed we are so honoured to have Neal’s Yard Remedies as a Founding Partner. Your long history of campaigning for the protection of the natural world really made Neal’s Yard Remedies a perfect partnership from our perspective. In your opinion, what is it about Earthed that resonates with Neal’s Yard Remedies and the work you do?

Anabel: We are delighted to be a founding partner of Earthed. Our partnership means so much more than just a collaboration. Instead symbolising a shared journey dedicated to fostering a healthier, more sustainable planet.

What deeply resonates with us in Earthed’s work is the emphasis on nature-centred solutions. Earthed not only serves as a platform for learning nature skills but also as a community builder. Uniting individuals driven by a shared passion for the environment. This communal spirit, paired with education and positive action for our planet is what so perfectly aligns with our core values.

At Neal’s Yard Remedies we firmly believe in using our platform to set positive examples, paving the way for others to learn about and embrace sustainability. From pushing the boundaries in organic formulation proving that you can indeed have both sustainable and efficacious skincare, to becoming the first UK high street retailer to become Carbon Neutral. Akin to Earthed’s mission of creating a platform that empowers experts in their field to use their voices to create a positive ripple effect.

Q: As a Founding Partner, Neal’s Yard Remedies have made possible our upcoming course, Activating your Activism: Planting seeds for change with Tayshan Hayden-Smith. Within the course Tayshan talks about how activism can look like different things to different people. From starting a community garden to being the person who brings cups of tea to community members. What does activism look like to you?

Anabel: “Planting seeds for change” is a phrase we worked with Earthed on for the title of this course. It encapsulates what activism looks like to me. Sometimes it can be as small as making a simple swap of a product that you use daily to organic that can be a form of activism.

Using our collective voice and where possible, platform, also serves as a valuable tool towards making change happen. Since 2011 we have been campaigning to Save the Bees, hand delivering a petition with 117,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street lobbying the government to ban 3 toxic neonicotinoid pesticides within the EU – and won.

However, for the past four years the government has granted yearly derogations for the lethal bee killing neonicotinoid ‘thiomethoxam’ for the sugar beet crop. So I gathered together a coalition of over 100 businesses and organisations. For the past two years we have been lobbying the government to implement a pesticide-reduction strategy. We won’t stop until we see true change happen.

Q: At the 2023 Earthed Summit, Neal’s Yard Remedies presented the panel discussion on Growing Community. We also see community playing a huge role within the learnings of Tayshan’s course. What do you see as the role of Neal’s Yard Remedies and other businesses when it comes to community?

Anabel: Just like Earthed, we see community, and in particular our community’s wellbeing, at the heart of all corners of our business. From our global network of suppliers to our employees and customers.

We’ve maintained 30-year-long relationships with many suppliers and growers, prioritising their welfare and helping local communities. Such as working with our organic supplier of Palmarosa in Uganda to help him set up a distillery, creating valuable employment for the local community, or our FairTrade Argan Oil supplier, a female cooperative in Morocco, which was the very first women’s Fair Trade Argan Oil cooperative in the world.

This commitment to wellbeing extends right through to our customers, where we create a holistic approach to community engagement. Our stores provide a trusted space for our community to come together and foster a deeper understanding of the power of natural and organic products for health, beauty and wellbeing needs. Whether it’s providing a personalised service to create your very own herbal blend to help you destress, to tailoring a skincare routine to tackle dry skin holistically.

For us, it’s about making a meaningful contribution to the wellbeing and happiness of the communities we’re privileged to be part of.

Q: Earthed is a learning platform, committed to helping anyone anywhere access the skills and knowledge to start regenerating ecosystems and communities. What would be a key skill or piece of knowledge that you have learnt through your work with Neal’s Yard Remedies that you’d like to share with our members?

Anabel: Learn from your mistakes as there will be many. Resilience is key.

Stand up for what you believe in. For me, putting nature first is a priority. That’s why we use organic ingredients which are better for your skin and kinder to the environment.

Collaborate, as no one individual or business can tackle the issues the planet faces alone. To affect real change, we have to work together.

As a Founding Partner, Neal’s Yard Remedies is supporting Earthed’s mission of increasing access to nature skills. Enabling a wide audience to engage with ecosystem restoration, and raising the profile of nature leaders and regenerative farmers from across the planet. Access our collaborative course led by Tayshan Hayden-Smith and start taking action for biodiversity and community.

Neal’s Yard Remedies is a Founding Partner of Earthed

The post In conversation with Anabel Kindersley: Planting Seeds for Change at Neal’s Yard Remedies appeared first on Earthed.

Earthed is blessed to platform the knowledge, skills, and experiences of inspiring nature teachers from around the world. Tayshan Hayden-Smith is no exception.

Born and raised in Ladbroke Grove, West London, Tayshan turned to guerilla gardening and the creation of community green spaces as a form of therapy and healing following the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower Fire. Through innovative design and collaboration, Tayshan’s projects reimagine green spaces in order to reconnect community with nature so that both can thrive.

In his Earthed Course, Activating your Activism: Planting Seeds for Change, Tayshan guides you through his own personal experiences. He aims to inspire anyone anywhere to reconnect with their community and the natural world.

But what do we really mean when we talk about activism? And how do we overcome the barriers – real or imagined – that prevent so many of us from connecting with our community?

We caught up with Tayshan with our top five questions…

Q&A with Tayshan Hayden-Smith

Q: We love your course, Activating your Activism, and have already reflected and learnt so much from listening to you and your experiences. What do you hope members will gain from participating in your Earthed Course?

Tayshan: Activating your Activism is a course which I hope cuts through boundaries, barriers and very real challenges into just doing and being. There’s an activist in everyone – and there’s no magical formula to it, but often the pressures of life and society will mean that the most amazing and beautiful of ideas and solutions won’t come to life. This course is hopefully a gentle nudge of encouragement to take positive action – however that manifests for you.

Q: The word “activism” can sometimes make people feel uncomfortable, and many may feel wary of labelling themselves “activists”. How would you respond to this? What does activism mean to you?

Tayshan: I feel really passionately about language as a form of  communicating. Language can be so poetic, so emotive but also harmful, at times. Admittedly, I didn’t understand what an activist was before 2017, and so to call myself an activist I had to really understand and embody what it meant. It’s within our nature to empathise, to seek understanding and connection and so, naturally, we all have an inner activist to activate. We all have different ideas and causes – a good place might be to ask yourself: What do you stand up for?

Q: In the course you mention the importance of learning from mistakes along the way. What’s one of the main learnings you’ve made in your journey to where you are today?

Tayshan: I make mistakes everyday – we have to start normalising reality, where there are imperfections and challenges every single day. The aspiration to live a faultless and perfect life is unrealistic and dangerous.

I’d say my main learning would be to be more gentle with myself and to learn to be proud of myself. I’d also say that I question anything I feel overly comfortable with – even expectations / preconceptions around what it is to be a man in 2024. 

Channelling words of encouragement and love my late-mum used to say / send always helps. 

Q: What would be your number one tip to someone who was anxious about engaging with their local community or trying to start a new project?

Tayshan: You are community – you aren’t somehow separate or external to this. By default, you are community and community is you. 

Your voice, your mind and your involvement is so crucial. You should feel empowered to know that you could play a part in something positive and purposeful.

Q: How can members continue learning and supporting your work?

Tayshan: I feel duty bound to inspiring, creating, at the very least trying, to make positive change.

Grow to Know was set up following the Grenfell Tower tragedy as it was nature that came to our rescue. Nearly 7 years on, our work is only possible with the support from a community of people and partners. As a small not for profit, we would welcome and appreciate your support in helping us plant those much needed seeds of change. Feel free to follow and, if at all possible, support by donating to our cause.

Check out Grow to Know on Instagram, and follow Tayshan Hayden-Smith to keep up with his work and upcoming projects. Start your journey into community action today. Join our Earthed Course ‘Activating your Activism: Planting Seeds of Change’ with Tayshan Hayden-Smith.

This Earthed Course is the first in a series made possible by Earthed partner Neal’s Yard Remedies. As a Founding Partner of the charity, Neal’s Yard Remedies is supporting Earthed’s mission of increasing access to nature skills, enabling a wide audience to engage with ecosystem restoration, and raising the profile of nature leaders and regenerative farmers from across the planet. Neal’s Yard Remedies has been a longtime advocate for biodiversity and supporting the beauty and wellbeing of both people and planet. From creating the first certified organic skincare line in 1991 to helping to ban plastic microbeads, their commitment to the health of pollinators and people makes them a perfect partner of Earthed.

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