James had seen a similar concept used elsewhere and asked AI to help him visualise how it would look, letter-by-letter. The group began work on its construction in February 2026.

James said: “We wanted to build something eye‑catching for the entrance to the woods, so that it’s the first thing people see when looking in from the car park. We also wanted it to be environmentally friendly, meaningful for the people we support, and something that the whole department could contribute to.

“The sign is built mainly from reclaimed pallet wood. Working out the angles for the letters was the trickiest part, but once that was figured out, the rest all came together quite smoothly.”

Creating an eco-friendly and eye-catching sign

In total the sign took around 4 weeks to complete, but it’s much more than just a sign…

It doubles as a bug hotel and includes bird boxes! Each letter is filled with natural materials, like bamboo for solitary bees, pine cones and wood shavings for nesting birds, and lots of other items collected from our woodland area. The walking groups from Area 1 were a huge help in gathering materials on their walks.

James continued: “The people we support have been involved throughout the process: dismantling pallets, removing nails, sanding timber, sawing pieces, and helping fill each letter. It’s been a real team effort across the Woodland department.

“I’ve also added planters underneath, which will grow trailing flowers to attract even more insects and bees. Aside from the supporting frame, bamboo, and the chicken wire that holds the pine cones in place, everything has been reclaimed or found naturally – keeping the project as environmentally-friendly and low‑cost as possible.”

What a fantastic project – with a really eye-catching, eco-friendly, and all-round impressive result! Great work from all the team at Area 1.