class: center, middle # Intersectional Gardening _Beyond the forest garden_ [](/) by Jake Rayson [natureworks.org.uk](https://www.natureworks.org.uk) [natureworks.org.uk/talks/intersectional](https://www.natureworks.org.uk/talks/intersectional/) ##### Press `P` to see notes and credits ??? * My contribution to the International Forest Garden / Food Forest Symposium 2023 * This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), embedded work may have other licenses. --- class: middle ### “It’s time to expand our vision past supporting birds, butterflies and bees, and **fully integrate the most challenging animal of all**, the human being, into our native plant gardens” ~ Jared Rosenbaum, [Wild Plant Culture](https://wildplantculture.com/) ??? My emphasis --- class: middle # <span style="font-size: 5rem;">Why are we here?</span> ??? * Let‘s start with the big questions --- # Climate Emergency  ??? * [1.5°C rise by 2026](https://climatenewsnetwork.net/warming-exceed-1-5c-limit-2026/), 6-7°C by 2100 * Photo by Matthew Abbott/The New York Times, labelled for reuse --- #   # <span style="font-size: 4rem;">And don’t forget the…</span> --- # Ecological Emergency  ??? * “Of 8,431 UK species assessed, **1 in 7** at risk of extinction”. [15% species under threat of extinction in UK](https://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/publications/state-of-nature-2019-summary-report-uk.pdf) * BBC [Nature crisis: Humans 'threaten 1m species with extinction'](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48169783) 6 May 2019 * [Animal populations experience average decline of almost 70% since 1970, report reveals](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/13/almost-70-of-animal-populations-wiped-out-since-1970-report-reveals-aoe) The Guardian, 13 Oct 2022 * [Living Planet Report](https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-gb/) by WWF & Zoological Society --- class: middle, center # Forest garden [](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/video/shorts/1438178883749/) ### Productive<br>Sustainable<br>Low maintenance ??? * Tough on climate change, tough on the causes of climate change - to misquote Tony Blair --- class: middle # “A self-nourishing<br>wildlife orchard underplanted with<br>edible shrubs and<br>perennial vegetables.” --- class: middle, center  ## A forest garden is<br>an edible **ecosystem** ??? As it's an edible ecosystem, **grow native plants**!! --- class: middle, center  ## Provide habitat for wildlife<br>& food for **everyone** --- class: middle, center # The intersectional garden  ??? * Hat-tip to [Dr. Deepti Gurdusani](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepti_Gurdasani), who uses the term ”intersectional feminist” * [Plants For A Future](https://pfaf.org) pretty much every single native plant is “useful to humans” in some way --- <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/growdigital/image/upload/w_1280,h_720/v1562357887/meadowsweet-EF800A69.jpg" alt="Frothy white flowers on stems, yellow flowers below, purplish grass flowers beyond" class="full-screen"> --- class: middle, center # Beyond the self  --- class: middle, center # Beyond the human  ??? When I first started forest gardening, I said "I'm not planting anything unless I can eat it". * [Anthropocentrism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropocentrism) * [Biocentrism](https://bit.ly/wikipedia-biocentrism-ethics) * [Ecocentrism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecocentrism) --- # Native plants  * Grow native plants where possible * because they have co-evolved * to be eaten by insect larvae ??? * Bottom line, insects eat native plants * See [Database of Insects and their Food Plants](http://dbif.brc.ac.uk/hosts.aspx) * The bulk of plants native, eg in windbreaks as ground cover * Near-natives and nativars * Key point, ecosystems (whole plant communities) are **resilient** --- # Habitat diversity  * Pond, hedges, trees, log piles, stone piles… * Different substrates * Human **interaction** * See [John Little]() wildlife gardener ??? * Gabions as [“unit of structural habitat”](https://twitter.com/grassroofco/status/1568930839307624449) - multi-funcional, can include small mammal homes, hoverfly lagoon, bee logs, recycle range materials, --- # Species diversity  * Non-native edibles * **Native** hedging & ground cover * Habitat diversity ⇝ species diversity --- <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/growdigital/image/upload/w_1920/v1595533954/wildflower-plant-combinations-200719.jpg" alt="Tapestry of wild flowers in a field" class="full-screen"> --- class: middle, center # “integrate the most challenging animal of all” --- # The Human  ??? * Photo by Basile Morin on [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Close-up_photograph_of_the_eye_of_a_baby_with_reflection_of_the_scene_in_the_pupil_-_cropped.jpg) --- # Human design  * Design paths & areas * Build-in habitat & species diversity * **Interaction** can _improve_ habitat --- # Tending the Wild [](https://archive.org/details/tendingwildnativ0000ande) * Native Californians “improved” landscape * Forest garden writ large * [Tending the Wild](https://archive.org/details/tendingwildnativ0000ande) by [Kat Anderson](https://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/people/m-anderson) ??? * It can be done! * Coppicing is classic example of human intervention beneficially creating diversity of habitat, constantly re-creating “woodland edge” --- # Ornamental natives  * Cues to care * Invite people in * Participatory relationship with nature¹ ??? * ¹ Tending the Wild pp338 --- <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/growdigital/image/upload/w_1600/v1668937967/angelica-sylvestris-flower-butterfly-180707.jpg" alt="Orange butterfly on white umbellifer flower" class="full-screen"> ??? * Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris) and a Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) --- <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/growdigital/image/upload/v1669024647/190406-dog-violet-poland.jpg" alt="Small blue-violet flowers" class="full-screen"> ??? * Dog Violet (Viola canina), larval food plant for Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) --- <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/growdigital/image/upload/w_1600/v1668937967/althaea-offiicinalis-flower-closeup-110713.jpg" alt="Close-up of open white flower" class="full-screen"> ??? * Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) --- <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/growdigital/image/upload/w_1600/v1668937967/agrostemma-githago-sepal-141205.jpg" alt="Close-up of side of thin elegant pink flower" class="full-screen"> ??? * Corncockle (Agrostemma githago) --- <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/growdigital/image/upload/w_1600/v1668937966/achillea-millefolium-flowers-100626.jpg" alt="Close-up umbellifer type white flowers" class="full-screen"> ??? * Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) --- # Resources  * [gardenwild.org.uk](https://gardenwild.org.uk) * [gardenwild.org.uk/agrostemma-githago](https://gardenwild.org.uk/agrostemma-githago) * [bit.ly/garden-wild-spreadsheet](https://bit.ly/garden-wild-spreadsheet) --- class: middle, center # Beyond the forest garden  ??? * Beyond the intersectional garden * Beyond the cult of the individual * Out into the world * The best gardens connect with the landscape --- # Wildlife Allotments  * Climate resilience * Collective action * Back door community forest garden ??? Photo is Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust, now creating a community forest garden --- # Time to get angry  _“capitalism is the cause of the Yellowhammer’s decline”_ ??? [Time to Get Angry: Beyond the Cosy Consensus in British Nature Conservation](https://jmdean1982.medium.com/time-to-get-angry-beyond-the-cosy-consensus-in-british-nature-conservation-a833ee0fd7ec) by Jonathan Deane --- class: middle, center # A forest garden is everything  ### Productive<br>Sustainable<br>Low maintenance --- class: middle, center # A forest garden is not enough  ### Climate Justice<br>Collective action<br>Political change ??? Can't talk about Climate Emergency without talking about Climate Justice --- class: middle ### “Biological diversity will not be sustained<br>if new ways of managing nature do not<br>also transform how we experience<br>our place in nature” ~ Edward Grumbine, [Ghost Bears](https://islandpress.org/books/ghost-bears) ??? pp238 --- class: middle, center # The End  <hello@natureworks.org.uk> [natureworks.org.uk/newsletter](https://www.natureworks.org.uk/newsletter)