Climate activity is becoming more and more synonymous with rebellion. International bands like Zero Hour and Extinction Rebellion draw huge crowds protesters and find ways to express your anger.
But what if there was a way advocate for the environment in your area through small everyday actions?
partisan gardening is the act of growing plants in a public place, usually in an otherwise untended area, often for the purpose of environmental improvement and protection Environment. It has a number of benefits from improving biodiversity help save temperature short.
Jenny van Gestel, coordinator of Guerrilla Gardeners NL, explains how the transformation of one street can have far-reaching consequences for the entire Environment.
“Rocks and asphalt absorb heat,” she notes. “When you remove stones and add plantsthen you know that temperature won’t go up that much.
“There is water also retention; we’re having flash floods right now due to changing of the climateor do we really dry periods. Adding more green means you have better water resources management“.
Is guerrilla gardening illegal?
Many consider guerrilla gardening to be illegal, and sometimes it is. For Ellen Miles, climate activist and social enterprise founder green dreamguerrilla gardening is definitely an anarchist form of protest.
“This is a direct action against the deprivation and depletion of nature, highlighting the problem of biophobia. urbanization fighting it,” Ellen explains.
“It’s a fight for people, plants and the planet when you take matters into your own hands. It’s anarchic pure sense, and challenges the status quo of how we’ve been taught what cities should look like and who can have the power and the right to shape them.”
But it doesn’t have to be illegal activity. Part of Jenny’s work with Guerrilla Gardeners NL is to convince people that there are ways to get involved in this form of activity legally, even with the blessing of local authorities.
She works regularly with the municipal government where she lives in Netherlands, identifying landscaping projects with local government officials. She also tries to encourage the locals to get involved in life alongside them.
“One of the things I do here is try to get people who have [tree pits] in front of their house or near their house to garden in them,” Jenny says. “There is so much you can do just by cooperating with the authorities.”
“You don’t need an organization. As a person, there is so much you can do… Start small. You don’t have to start with a huge garden, just start by removing one paving stone, add one plant, and then just see what happens. See how the neighbors react, see how factory starts to grow, and maybe you can develop it from there.”
Beginnings of guerrilla gardening
Jenny believes that anyone can practice guerrilla gardening, even if there is no organized group nearby. If you notice an abandoned lot public place that no one else is using, this is a great opportunity to get involved.
If you’re worried about whether it’s allowed, you can check with your local government, but both Jenny and Ellen say they rarely run into barriers when landing in unused places.
“Part of the concept of guerrilla gardening is to ask for ‘forgiveness, not permission’, but I’ve always gotten only positive responses from people, so there’s no need for forgiveness,” Ellen explains.
“It’s basically about where you plant. First, you want to avoid landing on someone’s private property or in a protected area (such as National Trust property or reserve)”.
Ellen explains that tree pits are a great way to start. Although they do not advertise it, but many tips will allow you to plant here as long as you do not damage wood.
“I’ve never had a problem with just using common sense to see what a neglected, bare spot is. soil it should have had plants, but now they don’t. If the council isn’t going to look after him, why shouldn’t the resident call himself his gardening angel?
remember, that dogs, people and various dangers may disturb your patch. So when you choose what to plant, it must be hardy. stable and able to cope with the climate without too much help from you. Otherwise, you’ll have to keep coming back to tend to the plants, which means you’ll spend less time in new areas.
“When choosing plantswe also take into account that [attract] wild bees, which would attract butterflies and so on,” Zhenya explains. “That’s another aspect and they are often native species.”
Why is landscaping important?
In addition to the environmental benefits, now more than ever, taking care of our territories is good for ourselves and our communities.
“It’s interesting to note that the movement is growing again,” says Jenny. “Because of the last year we had and the people [being] stuck inside…renewed interest in our areas.
Ellen also sees a connection between guerrilla gardening and society. She notes that living in greener areas improves mental healthlife expectancy is increasing and there are patterns that suggest that crime is less common in greener areas.
“I find it gives me the opportunity to positively influence my local environment and feel like I own the place where I live,” Ellen explains. “There is a real problem with young city dwellers not feeling like they belong in their neighborhood, and it’s clear why — cities just not meant for humans.
“Guerrilla gardening provides an opportunity to transform the streets where people live into the hands of the people who live there. It’s uplifting to see the bright spots of life in the bare, gray patches, and I love knowing that I’m helping the locals. ecosystems and community.”