A PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION TO ORCHARD GARDENING
VENUE: THE PLAYTRAIL ECO-BASE & EDIBLE FOREST
Facilitators: Marian Farrell and Fergal McSwiggan
A hands-on, practical workshop that will give you an introduction to the concept of Edible Forests and how to grow and maintain a sustainable urban fruit and nut plot. This workshop will take place mostly outdoors, so please dress appropriately in old clothes and sturdy shoes. Tools and equipment will be provided but please bring your own gardening gloves if you have them. If the weather is really against us on the day, we do have an indoor-based backup plan, so don’t let that put you off!
During the workshop you will learn about and participate in the following activities:
Watch a 5 minute film about the history and conception of The Playtrail’s Incredible Edible Forest, a unique model for sustainable food growing in urban settings.
Tour and learn about the wide variety of fruits, nuts and herbs found in the Edible Forest and how they can be grown in an urban setting.
Practice the basic skills of ground preparation and care needed to plant and maintain fruits in urban settings.
Witness and learn about a closed loop system in action through compost, mulch and manure production.
Build a compost bay from pallets, and turn pruned branches and logs into woodchips for mulching.
N.B. We will meet at the Eco-Base building at 2pm, then move to work in the Incredible Edible Forest. Refreshments will be provided but we encourage you to bring a reusable water bottle with you as you will be engaged in physical activity.
Accessibility Note: This is a physical workshop and takes place in an area with uneven ground terrain and narrow paths. Artitude Festival aims to be as accessible as possible, so please do get in touch if you have any queries or concerns and we will do whatever we can to accommodate your needs.
ARTITUDE CLIMATE FESTIVAL
A free three day community-led celebration of art, climate action and the circular economy.
Showcasing creative, community-led responses to the climate emergency, the festival is delivered in collaboration with The Gathering, Zero Waste North West (ZWNW), Northern Ireland Resources Network (NIRN), Environmental Justice Network Ireland (EJNI) Friends of the Earth NI and Making Relatives - a visit of water and land protectors from Ojibwe Nation, US.
Emerging from The Playhouse's Artitude: Climate, Culture and Circularity project, the festival is part of a unique and transformational programme of activity, using the arts and creative practice to engage communities in the DCSDC area in exploring climate action and the circular economy, with a view to encouraging positive behavioural change.
The Playhouse works with partners Zero Waste North West, Northern Ireland Resources Network, Queens University and Derry City and Strabane District Council to use the arts to co-ordinate and deliver the 18 month programme.
