welcome to our green trail.
an ongoing collaborative project involving local artists from cambridge north, leading you to the def real build – a newly curated artist workshop inside a community garden located in arbury.
a nature trail has been created and documented
for you to explore, engage, and enjoy as you please.
this is now your nature trail too,
where a community garden will be waiting for you.
“stop. stand still” x-lee poetry
let us show you around.
where you can see the sights.
from cambridge north station to the def real build, here is a way to get to the community garden and take in the nature-based artistry along the way.
the sites
site 1: cambridge north station
this is the first stop on the green trail, as the beginning of the journey through urban nature. with efforts ongoing to get the community involved, spaces have been created temporarily to help people slow down and enjoy their surroundings. this is also where the trail mix starts, as a walking tour to the def real build. listen to the trail mix to guide you through the sites and sights.
listen to the walking tour below or follow google maps until you know the way.
site 2: the river
off fen road, this spot is a quiet respite from the commuter bustle. The Gardening Pixie has been tending to the nature in the walkway and the signpost has a poem by X-Lee titled “Stop. Stand Still.” clue’s in the name. see the green trial poetry collection here, curated by X-Lee and lucy fiasco.
site 3: five trees
this site is an important one, as it is a space that the cambridge community have kept as a hub of biodiversity, despite plans to turn into a convenient through road for traffic. this site has inspired Drew in creating a movement performance, accessible here or via QR code on site.
site 4: green end rec
The Gardening Pixie has been having vibrant discussions with local experts in the broad field of biodiversity to find the best way to add to the already standing nature in the area. this space features a remix of one of SIN Cru’s archival works, Get to Know Happy, featuring Reverb Zed, accessible here.
site 5: the coop
the wall by the side of the coop will be blessed by hyro’s artistry in the future, and is currently featuring some poetry on the posts by the zebra crossing. try and find ‘more than a zebra‘ by lucy fiasco whilst you wait for the lights to turn green.
site 6: woodhouse way bus stop
this site that is essential for locals now features a poem from X-Lee, as a developing effort to make public areas more enjoyable.
site 7: campkin road forecourt
the forecourt by tescos has been an ongoing project, first spearheaded by Ben from On The Verge. This project has now been up-kept by The Gardening Pixie and the local community of cambridge north, such as The Glass Artist featured on the right, where weeds have been uprooted and used as sources of nitrogen for new plants added to the spaces. the two sites in this forecourt currently feature sunflowers first planted at The Gardening Pixie’s workshop for sustainable seed sewing.
site 8: nuns way rec
home to the famous wilder rave hosted by SIN Cru, on the summer solstice of ’26, nuns way is a space enjoyed by many locals. the site is soon to be home to more forestry to increase biodiversity further. you will soon be able to scan the QR code along this path and see what SIN Cru has in store…
site 9: northfield avenue underpass
Hyro as the resident graffiti artist has taken over this space as one of the three murals across the trail. the space on this underpass is a collab between Hyro and local writers Sype and Caps, taking over one side each.
The Gardening Pixie has also made a huge effort to conserve the green spaces either side of the underpass, removing waste and maintaining the space – she is absolutely not giving up on the community.
see Hyro’s work here, and look out for his murals along the walk.
site 10: def real build
this space has been an evolving community garden for many years, and this project has been the installment of an artist workshop, and an upheaval of biodiversity work to create green spaces throughout the site. In June ’26, this space has been used for a bitesized bio and breakin’ course, for seed sewing session, for mentoring programmes and poetry workshops, to name a few.
Green Trail is an ongoing project funded by Cross Country Trains and the National Lottery and created by local artists to signpost the def real build.
there are seven key artists working alongside SIN Cru who are helping to realise this vision. these artists are working to enhance natural spaces by increasing diversity, creating murals along the signposting trail, recording poignant poetry accompanied by nature-inspired soundscapes, and connecting young people with movement, rhythm and Hip Hop culture, all while working alongside the local community.
our hope is to help people to build appreciation for their surroundings, connect with one another and the nature around them and to help nurture a community willing to fight for itself and its needs.
meet the artists of the green trail
I am a green trail horticulturalist, helping to increase biodiversity along designated sites, with planting suitable for climate. I’ve chosen my planting with pollinators and wildlife in mind as well as being beautiful for everyone who passes by.
I’ve also been running workshops on sustainable seed sowing and keeping planting alive through an inferno of a summer with huge help from great volunteers.
as the project poetry lead dealing all things word-smithery, I played with written and spoken words, writing twenty green trail and nature inspired poems. along with lucy fiasco I co-hosted a poetry workshop on the green trail. following a successful call for submissions for original work from poets, I had the good fortune of co-curating the forthcoming Green Trail Poetry book. the publication of this book also afforded me the opportunity to learn how to undertake the full design and typesetting of a book from top to tale, or cover to cover. three of my poems are included in the book, and I also wrote the back of cover blurb, a poetic forward, the introduction, and salutations sections of the book.
I had the privilege of mentoring Reverb Zed, and assisting them in writing the lyrics for their performance at the Really Wild Jam.
In addition to this I also had the pleasure of working with ZuZu on the Green Trail Mix, where I recorded directions, potted histories, assisted with timings, provided a poem for inclusion, helped to master the album and also walked the trail on a number of occasions in connection with writing content for the mix album, as well as poems.
finally, I assisted in acquiring swift boxes, from Action for Swifts, and once sufficient permissions have been attained from the local authorities, I will be installing the said swift boxes in their designated locations accompanied by Dick Newell, from Action for Swifts.
I have been involved in the sonic elements for this project. composing The Trail Mix, I created a walking tour for everyone to travel to the def real build. curated through a recorded walk to each site from cambridge north, this tour has helped connect the spots on the trail, as well as making the sites audibly accessible through listening to directions. this soundscape also involves the creative works of other artists, including poetry from lucy fiasco, and X-Lee, and a composition by Reverb Zed. the aim of this project is to guide the listener to every stop on the green trail that artists have collaborated on, and work as a starting point for people to soon not need to use their headphones to get to the def real build, and soon appreciate that their surroundings is the soundscape.
owing a massive debt of gratitude to X-Lee, who was involved in the mastering of the album, he offered many hours of recording directions for people to find every stop with ease.
I have also been working closely with The Gardening Pixie as another pair of green thumbs to help upkeep site 7 (forecourt campkin road) and site 9 (northfield avenue underpass) with clearing out glass and grass, and adding seasonal sustainable plants.
additionally, I have helped Drew in the recording of his performance at five trees, using multiple camera set-ups to realise his vision.
using my experience with cameras and photography, i have been capturing the process of SIN Cru’s Green Trail via 35mm film photography, and digitally via photos and videos.
my final project has been curating and upkeeping the green trail web page, which i’m sure will also be an ongoing and evolving body of work.
I created a dance project that infused community outreach at chesterton primary school over the course of a few weeks. the dance theatre workshops I curated explore the theme of biodiversity and whats it’s opposition is – looking through the lenses of the modern working world.
this project has been showcased in a couple of venues, one of them being five trees, accessible via QR code on the trail.
graffiti artist creating a series of three murals along the Green Trail. each abstract piece done in a monotone colour scheme tells a story of the human connection to nature through a Hip Hop lens. also referencing some of the biodiversity work done by the rest of the team.
as an interdisciplinary artist I supported the creative team with their endeavours. I also wrote a couple of poems for the poetry book and trail mix, DJayed at project events, led the bite sized bio and breakin’ sessions, and have been learning how to make elderflower cordial and care for the community garden.
James
as the Green Trail producer and fundraiser, I have supported live events, and volunteered on def real build and Green Trail activity since it’s inception.
I have also spent time managing the strategic partnership work with the city and city council.
