To embrace the changing of seasons this Halloween, Boro Doughnut members Kinga Czarocka, Emi Imai, and Laurissa Papprill hosted a traditional bonfire at the Middlesbrough Edible Forest Garden. The event aimed to build a sense of community and connect both adults and children with nature, with some lessons about Doughnut Economics sprinkled on top!
The forest garden was an idea first coined by Robert A Hart, who envisioned a future for the UK where towns and cities would be made up of numerous green spaces, creating urban environments which can coexist with nature (Centre for Alternative Technology, n.d.). Surrounding yourself in thriving natural spaces is vital for your health and wellbeing, however, according to a Wildlife and Countryside Link report, a lack of access to nature in the UK is a cross country issue, with 90% of people in more than one in ten neighbourhoods having no access to nature within a fifteen minutes walk (Wildlife and Countryside Link, 2023). Meanwhile, the combined size of parks, public gardens or playing fields is lower in Middlesbrough than compared to the rest of the country (South Tees JSNA, 2024). To answer this problem, Boro doughnut has worked hard to bring the Middlesbrough Edible Forest Garden to life, serving as a place which can offer locals a chance to connect with nature.
We had a great turnout and some fantastic help from locals. Barry Whitton, a local community fire officer, helped share the history of bonfire burnings. Educating the kids on how bonfire night was not only used to mark the ending of the plot to blow up parliament, but also became a way for citizens to burn their waste. Of course now this would be an eco-friendly nightmare, but for many years this was the go-to method. Instead, we stuck to a standard bonfire made up of sticks gathered from the garden, meanwhile Barry’s words helped engage the children.
There was plenty of free food and drinks to go around, as well as some words from Boro Doughnut member Emi about the importance of using reusable cups and plates rather than disposables.
Locals also had the opportunity to browse and try out a variety of sustainable products. Ruth and Andy Watson from Ecologico set up a stand selling locally sourced and sustainable produce ranging from organic shampoo, vegan bath bombs, to sweets. Speaking to Ruth and Andy: they wanted to create a business which celebrated local goods, and could motivate people to become better informed of the potentially harmful ingredients included in everyday items. The couple managed to raise twelve and a half thousand pounds from crowd funding and now drive around the north east selling sustainable produce in their van named, ‘Vanny DeVito’, ensuring it’s always sustainable in Boro (sorry couldn’t help myself).
Ruth and Andy also run seminars in schools throughout the area, teaching young people the importance of using sustainable ingredients, buying locally, and teaching them entrepreneurial skills. Ruth stated how engaged children always are in learning about environmental issues, showing an eagerness for being aware of harmful ingredients in everyday produce such as palm oils or pesticides, many times more so than adults. ‘They are far more susceptible to new ideas’ says Ruth, making it all the more important we teach children new and out of the box ideas for how the world around them can be protected and changed for the better.
I also spoke to locals about current issues on their minds. Gill Sullivan from CPRE spoke to us about how large areas of green space in Middlesbrough are under threat. Gill has been campaigning to protect Mandale Meadows since 2018. The space was once a part of the council’s green wedge but is now under plans to have a spine road built through it. Mandale meadows is a much-valued green space in Middlesbrough and locals are hard pressed to save it, especially as the new development could lead to a major loss of wildlife in the area. Gill described how important it was to get people outdoors and motivated to preserve nature. The challenge, she rightfully pointed out, was how to appeal to more people, not just young children and parents, but also adolescents and young adults too. To learn more about Gill and the CPRE’s mission to protect the UKs countryside you can visit the CPRE site here, or look into getting involved here.
Boro Doughnut member Emi also set up some games to help portray our mission. She set up two different activities, one to represent the worlds current approach to economics, and the other to show a new method which would emphasise the doughnut way of doing things.
The first activity was Jenga, which represents our current economic model, a model focused on pursuing growth at all costs. Yet as you take more and more natural resources, and deplete the structure of its essential building blocks, the ever-growing model becomes unstable, until it eventually falls. Meanwhile, to symbolise the doughnut model, a game of hula hoop served to represent how with skill, practice, and cultivation, a circular economy can be achieved which is self-sustaining - requiring working harmoniously with nature, through balance and effort, to keep the earth, or hoop in this case, spinning.
Finally, we handed out some free reading from the National Literacy Trust for the children to get their hands on. With the book 'Wild Weather' explaining the variations in climate around the world, from Death Valley to Antarctica. A 2023 council report reveals that children’s literacy levels in Middlesbrough have decreased below the national average, whereas in 2019 they were actually higher than the UK average, with the decrease likely being linked to the COVID-19 pandemic (Middlesbrough Council, 2023). To address this issue and decline, it is the hope of Boro Doughnut that the Edible Forest Garden can help inspire children to get reading as well as foster a curiosity for nature and the world around them.
The traditional burning proved a great way to get folks out in nature, provide some entertainment for children and to get talking about wider issues relevant to the area. So, if you’re looking to feel more connected to your community, nature, or just enjoy some good food and outdoors, be sure to come down to Boro Doughnut’s Edible Forest Garden in the future!
A very special thanks to Barry Whitton for the lovely words, Ruth and Andy Watson for setting up their sustainable goods stall, the talented Danny Kerr and William Harker for providing music, Graham Williamson for the brilliant photography, and finally to everyone who came along, we couldn't have done it without you!
Be sure to keep an eye out for more seasonal activities in the future.
Weekly activities Mon 11-1pm, Thursday 10-1pm.
Grimson Walk TS3 7BY - No need to book, just turn up anytime!
Photography by Graham Williamson
Article written by Scott Campbell
References:
Centre for Alternative Technology. (n.d.). The Edible Forest Garden. [online] Available at:
Live Well South Tees (2024) South Tees JSNA June 2024. https://middlesbrough.gov.uk/media/rpgda1oj/south-tees-jsna-live-well-green-spaces.pdf
Middlesbrough Council (2023) Childrens and young peoples learning scrutiny panel. https://moderngov.middlesbrough.gov.uk/documents/s16423/Briefing%20Paper.pdf
Wildlife and Countryside Link (2023) Mapping access to nature in England. https://wcl.org.uk/docs/Mapping_access_to_nature_in_England_01.05.23.pdf
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