The more the merrier. Without you you are all alone so everyone is welcome with us.
Maybe you have a lot of time but you are not mobile. Or you have little time but still want to be part of our Smuljungle Aalst community. Maybe you only speak a little Dutch and you are learning it to the fullest. Or do you have a nest full of children and is that difficult to combine.
In any case, we try to gear our actions to all ages and target groups.
What is involved in the construction of a Smuljungle.
How can you make yourself useful?
What do we want with that place?
That is of course the most important. Because we all determine that together. But to be able to decide that, we all need to become a food forest guide first. So we will share all the knowledge we have with you. We will visit other food forests. Organize video shows and invite other food forest storytellers.
After this round you may know even more than what we already know. Because you never know enough about nature.
Then we organize workshops to brainstorm about what we want to have on our wish list. What would that place look like in 10 years, for example? Now that you know that you are actually building such a Smuljungle for the next generations. Because only from the age of 3 we reap the first fruits of our work and trees and shrubs need time to grow.
Planning and organizing.
We want to do fun things and that also requires some practical organization. Imagine we are going to visit another food forest. Then we have to make sure that everyone knows how, what, where and when.
We do plants well
Once the plans have been made, we have to see which perennials we need. Are we going to grow it ourselves? We learn to occult, graft, sow and take cuttings. Collect, trade, … There are also a number of subsidy options, but such a file does take some time. We will also start a crowdfunding campaign in the spring, because cooking costs money, of course. We use this to buy planting material, material and finance our trips.
When we’ve laid our egg and we’re ready to get started, it’s time to roll up our sleeves. This is where green fingers come in handy. Prepare the site, collect planting material and then get everyone ready to get started. We move with the times and do not plant everything at once. That would be stupid. But we grow with that place and see what works and what doesn’t.
If you have no experience yet, that’s no problem either. We share our knowledge and learn from each other.
The first plantings are still fragile and should certainly receive the necessary care in the first few years. Imagine having a summer with a heat wave. By the way, a Smuljungle that you leave to its fate becomes a real jungle. So that’s not the point. We are going to have to maintain our Smuljungle.
Goodies from the Smuljungle
Of course we don’t want to just put plants. Ideally, we can start from tasty inspiring recipes. These should of course be tried out and once found to be ‘tasty’ shared so that as many people as possible can get inspiration. So is there a cook in you? Then this is definitely for you.
Your inspiration could lead to other plants being chosen as well. Apart from that, all those activities also make you hungry and thirsty. So it’s nice that we can take care of that.
The past and the present.
If there is a historian in you, then you have come to the right place. We want to map the history of that place, but also of Aalst traditions. All reasons are good to find rituals and moments to celebrate or commemorate. It is also nice to visualize that. Imagine if we could organize our own expo with photos from the past. The search for old plant varieties also seems like bacon for our mouths.
Get smarter while playing
For education and the teachers-to-be, we are working on an educational component that will also motivate children and young people to connect even more with nature. Maybe you have that area of expertise that you like to throw in the group or you feel called to take the lead here.
You see plenty of choice, but we have certainly forgotten things.
Interested? Send an email to trees@bark.today or have you already decided. Please fill in this form and we will contact you.
