Forest Garden Stories

Check out some Forest Gardening stories. Find out how forest gardening groups have got their community gardens off the ground and kept things going through good times and more challenging times. What can we learning from their stories. https://nationalforestgardening.org/ (click on Resources and then take a look at the stories.)

We're collecting community forest gardening stories and learning from each other. We've developed a framework based on a research paper called ‘Learning History’ published by Margaret Gearty. A learning history is a tried and tested approach which is particularly useful for capturing the learning that’s occured through a group experience. It records the steps taken along a learning journey; the pivotal moments, the opportunities taken or not taken, actions, memories, successful as well as unsuccessful experiments, and the part played by chance and circumstance which are otherwise lost in traditional case studies that march in a straightforward sequence towards an outcome.

Perhaps you could help by sharing your story. How would you and your team answer these questions?

1. How did you make a start with this project/development? What was your first step?

2. How did you prepare to make this first step? e.g. people you spoke with, or helped you; gathering together resources needed; sketching out the project?

3. What were your hopes and dreams for the project at the start?

4. What and/or who has inspired you in this project?

5. What has it taken to keep going with this project?

6. What resources have you drawn upon;

• Land

• People – as volunteers and perhaps some paid roles

• Governance and organisation

• Funds/income

• Plants, soil, materials (to build/make things

• anything else

1. What skills and knowledge have you made use of?

2. What didn’t work so well and what did you learn?

3. Can you remember useful disagreements?

4. What stage are you at now? Describe what the project does, who’s involved

5. Can you describe ways in which the project has supported health and well-being?

6. Are there other things the project supports, such as biodiversity or community cohesion?

7. What are you most pleased or proud of about the project?

8. What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced/overcome?

9. What is most important to you about the project? How does it fit with your hopes for the world?

If you would like to contribute your story, or help with podcasts, videos or interviews it would be great to hear from you.