South Thames Goodwood Art Foundation Event

Join the South Thames committee for their next fabulous regional event, at Goodwood Art Foundation. This exclusive event will offer delegates a delicious lunch at Restaurant 24, a stunning restaurant where the restaurant is nestled in the trees with panoramic views towards the Sussex coastline.

We will then continue the day led around the landscape by Head Gardener Jack Worthy. This reimagined space by landscape designer Dan Pearson features wooded glades, ancient woodland and wildflower meadows providing a unique setting to appreciate a fusion of art and nature.

We will then finish the day learning more about the Elemental App from Director and Research & Development Manager, Annie Buckle.

On the day

12:30pm Three Course Lunch at Restaurant 24

2:00pm Garden tour led by Head Gardener Jack Worthy

3:30pm Elemental Talk and Q&A delivered by Annie Buckle – Director and Research & Development Manger

4:15pm Finish

Jack Worthy

Jack Worthy is Head Gardener at Goodwood Art Foundation, where he leads the care and ongoing development of the Foundation's 70-acre landscape. Working within leading landscape designer Dan Pearson's original vision, shaped around the concept of ‘24 seasonal moments’, he oversees a diverse mosaic of woodland, meadow and naturalistic planting.

With a passion for horticulture, ecology and seasonal change, Jack plays a key role in shaping the evolving landscape and ensuring it responds sensitively to both the surrounding South Downs environment and the contemporary artworks situated throughout the grounds. Through tours and public events, he shares insights into the planting philosophy, management techniques and seasonal highlights that bring the landscape to life throughout the year.

Annie Buckle

Annie Buckle is the Research and Development Manager and one of the Directors of elemental. She has worked in the landscape industry for over 10 years across multiple disciplines, including garden design, maintenance, plant buying, biosecurity and even as a horticultural advisor on a popular gardening TV series. She returned to university for a brief interlude in her career in 2018, where she gained a degree in Biological Sciences, a Masters in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security and is currently completing the final stages of her PhD in Environmental Science, with a specialism in Sustainable Soil Management.

Elemental

Elemental is a free, web-based green-design tool designed to help landscape professionals and garden designers minimize the environmental impact of their projects. Developed by leading industry bodies, it provides a holistic sustainability score by evaluating six core pillars: materials management, soils, water and air, biodiversity, people and place, and carbon balance.

The Elemental platform is used to support decision-making from the earliest design stages through to construction, aftercare and life-time use of projects, at any scale. It acts as a comprehensive assessment resource rather than a rigid compliance audit.

Key Features and Pillars

Six Sustainability Pillars: The tool walks users through a simple Q&A to evaluate and improve designs across Materials Management, Soils, Water & Air, Biodiversity, People and Place, as well as a dynamic Carbon Balance assessment.

Carbon Balance: A new feature for the 2026 tool allows users to not only calculate their carbon emissions but also estimate the sequestration of their projects over a minimum 30-year term. This allows users to not only achieve significant emissions reductions, predict when their projects will become carbon neutral.

Holistic Guidance: It encourages eco-conscious choices, such as using peat-free growing media, minimizing earth displacement, and optimizing habitat connectivity.

Tool Background and Backing

Development: Created in collaboration with key industry stakeholders including the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), the Landscape Institute (LI), and the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers (SGLD).

Accessibility: The tool is free for landscape professionals, designers, and contractors to use on projects of all scales.

Industry Impact: Since its rollout, the platform has seen heavy adoption and helped designers reduce project carbon emissions by up to 50% while boosting biodiversity and social value.
 

If you are working on a landscape project and want to improve its eco-efficiency, let me know if you would like to explore:

• How to access and navigate the elemental Tool
• Specific sustainable practices for biodiversity or soils
• How to align your designs with RHS or Landscape Institute sustainability standards
• The tool is also aligned with the RIBA Plan of Work framework