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TH: 17th Annual Community Gardening Conference / Sep 96. (fwd)



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 1996 20:11:31 -0500 (EST)
From: flora@flora.com
To: Community Forestry Discussion <tree-house@lists.umbc.edu>
Subject: TH: 17th Annual Community Gardening Conference / Sep 96. (fwd)

 Hi Fellow Forestry Fanciers -

 Their 17th Annual ! Good golly, we haven't gotten through our 1st
 year yet, & I feel exhausted already.  Ok, our friends over at ACGA
 (American Community Gardening Association), one of our premier grass-
 roots (vegetable-roots, wildflower-roots, tree-roots) urban ecology
 initiatives, whose declared objectives are very much in harmony with our
 own, has announced its 26-29 Sep 1996 Conference in Montreal Canada.

 This year's theme, which reads like we could have written it our-
 selves, is _Branching Out: Linking Communities Through Gardening_.

 Call For Presentations And Papers

 The American Community Gardening Association is a national non-
 profit membership organization of professionals, volunteers, and
 supporters of community gardening as a means for improving the
 quality of life in both urban and rural areas.  Community gardening
 does this by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community
 development, stimulating social interaction, and encouraging self-
 reliance.  As a result, people begin beautifying their neighborhoods,
 producing nutritious food, reducing family budgets, and conserving
 resources.  Gardening also creates opportunities for recreation,
 exercise, therapy, and education.

 [Prune] ...

 People encouraged to submit:  Any individual working for a group,
 school, organization (like Tree-House Discussions International :-),
 or university concerned with community gardening, conservation,
 landscape design / architecture, wildlife enhancement, government
 leaders of environment agencies, *elders* in the community garden
 realm, *youth* involved with gardening, and any other people with
 experience in gardening and greening in their community.

 => Proposal Deadline:  Postmarked by March 15th, 1996.

 (From USA) - ACGA Conference c/o         (From Canada) - ACGA Conference
 San Francisco League Of Urban Gardeners  c/o Michel Confortate  Gerant
 2088 Oakdale Ave.                        Module Des Services Regionaux
 S.F. Ca. / 94124 / US                    Region Administrative No. 2
 (415) 285-7584                           5319 Av. Notre-Dame-De-Grace
 (Fax) 285-7586                           2E Etage / Montreal / H4A 1L2 / CA
                                          (514) 876-6363 / (Fax) 872-4585
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 Said Call-For-Submissions doesn't seem to make any references at all to
 Trees or to Community Forestry.  But here's a thought of mine which
 has never been verbalized on-list before, one that could be a powerful
 strategy toward sustaining Community Gardens.  Plant More Trees.  Of
 course, you knew that's what I was going to say, but consider this
 rationale.  If a neighborhood grows trees on its abandoned lots today,
 that is all the more disincentive against the powers-that-be from gutting
 out those Gardens in the future.  It can be much more effective to chain
 your volunteers to a 10-year-old Red Maple than to a raspberry patch.

 This chilling scenario, unfortunately, will be playing itself out
 several times in the next couple of years in New York City - in the
 gardens, in the courts, and in the media.  And *this* brings up yet
 another serious question of whether or not communities should invest in
 heavy mechanical 'tree-spades', both for acquiring exiled, refugee trees
 in the 1st place, and then for transplanting them at a later time in the
 future.  I say Yes!  It is possible that a Community Tree Spade could
 be hired by 'discriminating gentry' for removing unloved trees - earning
 (us) some cash while simultaneously adopting some healthy trees.  Hmmm ...
 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 | R. Tryzno Ellsberry | Coming To The Web - Spring '96! The Tree-House FAQ:
 | Richard@Flora.Com   | _Planting Native Trees Vs. Exotics:  Guidelines For
 | Baltimore US Zone 7 | Selecting Ecological Varieties_ - Get 'Em In Folks.
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