Our Natural Blue Spaces is a project dedicated to exploring and celebrating the beauty of Blue Spaces—rivers, lakes, canals, and ponds—within the Central Bedfordshire area, through a blend of art, workshops and community engagement.

This project is funded by Central Bedfordshire Council, supported by the Culture and Engagement team. We have partnered with the Canals and River Trust, The Greensand Trust, the Central Bedfordshire Countryside Team and The Wildlife Trust to work with four schools and families within Central Bedfordshire to explore a Natural Blue Space near each school. The schools are: Edward Peake Middle School in Biggleswade, Southcott Lower School in Linslade, Parkfields Middle School in Toddington and Thornhill Primary School in Houghton Regis.

We have worked with the schools and artist Kremena Dimitrova to develop illustrated maps of their local Blue Spaces: River Ivel, Great Union Canal, Rushmere Park and River Lea. The school children engaged with the project through creative workshops, sketch-up walks, recording their natural findings and creating a Charter for the Blue Spaces. The Charter was designed to help local people protect and enjoy their Natural Blue Spaces. In September, we are presenting the maps at their corresponding schools so the children can see the outcome of their work.

In the near future, we will develop interactive, digital versions of the maps, encapsulating the Natural Blue Spaces in both physical and digital formats.

---

Linslade Canal Festival

The creative sharing of the Charter and illustrated maps, produced by the children and artist Kremena, took place at the Linslade Canal Festival on 27 July 2024.

---