Our aim is to bring us individually, and in our communities to a new level of harmony and well-being through planting, eating from, and enjoying Forest Gardens. We are a membership organisation launched in September 2017 comprised of planners, ecologists, educators, researchers, engineers, artists, systemic thinkers and forest gardeners.
Member benefits
- Contribute your expertise: in planning, regeneration, education, well-being
- Getting your community started with a forest garden
- Participate in climate resilience round tables to accelerate local adaptation
- Citizen Science – trial of Forest Garden in a box
- Links to members with professional permaculture and forest gardening experience
Links to Wider Movements
We see ourselves as part of and supportive to the wider movement towards agroforestry and agroecology more generally. As people become more accustomed to growing perennials and thinking in systems so they may embrace a seismic shift in agriculture. We also hold that well-being is a relational and systemic concept. Therefore, growing and appreciating forest gardens in community can only enhance well-being. We note and support the blossoming interest amongst GP’s and health services more broadly to get people growing and eating from these gardens.
Our Activities
- December 2019 A ‘Forest-Garden-in-a-Box’ now available to pre-order at Hulme Community Garden Centre in Manchester (soft launch – national launch to follow). Guild designed as a collaboration between member forest gardeners.
- October 2019 Launch of a Supplementary Planning Document to form part of a local authority’s Local Development Framework – will allow Forest Gardens to be used in the determination of planning applications to acquire the weight of a ‘material consideration’ (Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
- July 2019 Incorporated as a CIC.
- April 2019 Published ‘Forest Gardening Principles for Public and Community Spaces’.
- January 2019 First Community Resilience Round Table convened with senior officers of Worthing and Adur Council.
- 2017-18 Won an RSA start-up grant;clarifying our purpose; building the network; creating a website with on-line support and information exchange forum; & a promotional animated film.
Governance
We have a Board that meets virtually and face to face. Any member is invited. As a national organisation we are committed to holding these meetings and our AGMs around the country.