Greenpop, a Cape Town-based NPO, focused on reconnecting people with nature, transformed the misused space of a local primary school into a nursery for their plants used at greening events. The nursery eventually evolved into a workshop and education hub with a focus on urban greening.

Conversion of the area began in 2012 as Greenpop searched for a place to store their urban greening plants. The space had long been plagued with illegal dumping, drug and alcohol abuse and crime. The school agreed that in exchange for maintaining and renovating the area, it could be used as a hub to keep all of Greenpop’s plants and tools.

The barren urban land was transformed into a multipurpose, lush nursery that not only stores the plants for Greenpop’s Fynbos planting program, but also serves as a hub for eco-education in the wider Cape Town community. It welcomes people to come together and learn important skills in urban greening, and how communities can use what they have around them for improving conditions for our planet.