The International Federation wishes you a happy World Kindness Day!
Some of you may wonder why this greeting is coming from the international allotment gardeners. Well, the answer to this question is simple:
Kindness concerns us all, because we are all happy when we experience kindness.
Moreover, kindness can take many forms, whether it's giving a smile to your fellow human beings and treating them with respect, or actively or passively helping others.
But kindness does not stop at the interpersonal level but extends to our entire environment.
Therefore, it is fair to say that we allotment gardeners are particularly friendly.
In our allotments, we cultivate and protect nature, provide valuable living space for all forms of life and plants, and are part of a community that helps and supports each other.
So, on this World Kindness Day, we would like to remind you:
Smile at those around you, enjoy your allotment and savour the kindness that comes back to you.
On 27.08.2024, the Bundesverband der Kleingartenvereine Deutschlands e. V. (BKD), umbrella organisation of around 900,000 allotment gardeners in Germany, opened its new federal centre with the permanent exhibition "City | Nature | People" with invited guests from the allotment garden movement, the local authorities, science and European partner organisations from 9 countries.
https://stadt-natur-mensch.de/
Opening ceremony for the Federal Centre
BKD Association President Dirk Sielmann welcomed over 150 guests to the grand evening ceremony. He thanked the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) for funding the Federal Centre on the basis of a resolution passed by the German Bundestag, which made the building with its environmentally friendly timber construction possible in the first place.
https://kleingarten-bund.de/bundeszentrum/
International congress "Allotment gardens in Europe: Green for all"
At the international specialist congress "Allotment gardens in Europe: Green for all", the federation and the international umbrella organisation of the European allotment garden movement, the Fédération Internationale des Jardins Familiaux, showed that they are facing up to social and climatic challenges and are proactively seeking solutions for the allotment garden movement. Topics such as the sponge city, new garden forms, biodiversity and the opening of the colonies as allotment garden parks - not only for members - were discussed scientifically in lectures.
The guests from other European countries and from all over Germany, who met at the federal centre during the European symposium "Allotment gardens in Europe: Green for all", were delighted with the successful event and wished the BKD and the allotment garden movement every success with the launch of the federal centre.
Two associations under one roof
The BKD presents itself in a spirit of optimism, to which not least the German allotment youth federation contributes with its commitment. Two federations under one roof that convey a modern, open-minded image of allotment garden culture and show that they no longer stand for a retreat into the private sphere of the allotment. The "Green Classroom" in the outdoor area will also be a new contact point for education for sustainable development for school classes and other interested parties from spring 2025.
The BKD and the Deutsche Schreberjugend are looking forward to many visits from the allotment garden associations and all friends of allotment gardening!
Author: BKD, Sandra von Rekowski and Eva Foos
Source: BKD
The International Congress of the Fédération Internationale des Jardins Familiaux took place in Berlin on 27 and 28 August. ‘Allotment gardens in Europe: Green for all’ was the theme of the 39th congress organised by the Bundesverband der Kleingartenvereine Deutschlands e. V. (BKD). The guests from national organisations, politics and science exchanged views on biodiversity, urban planning and climate change.
At the same time, the Bundesverband der Kleingartenvereine Deutschlands e. V. (BKD) opened its new federal centre. To mark the occasion, the international organisation planted a tree as a symbol of the bond between the international allotment garden family. This ornamental cherry (Prunus hillieri Spire) is intended to grow and blossom in the same way as the exchange between the international allotment garden federations.
From Herman Vroklage
Allotment garden sites are green beacons of tranquillity and biodiversity in urban areas. Which more and more people are enjoying. They need to value and protect these unique places. Nevertheless, they are often under pressure due to housing development plans.
Ons Genot in Utrecht is one such allotment park whose future is uncertain. They discovered by chance that its survival is under discussion in the environmental vision of Utrecht Overvecht. Up to 8.6 hectares of garden space are at risk of disappearing due to the construction of sports fields in a new neighbourhood. The allotment gardeners of Ons Genot are fighting against this and are supported by the national interest group AVVN together with Natural Gardening.
Urgent letter
AVVN has sent an urgent letter to the Mayor and Councillors calling for the allotment garden to be recognised and valued for its green qualities, its biodiversity and its recreational and social function, and for the allotment garden to be preserved in its current location.
That would be only right. The garden park has existed since 1963, the gardens and the surrounding greenery have reached full maturity and form an oasis for native and nature-friendly plants and animals. The allotment park makes a significant contribution to urban biodiversity, to reducing the heat island effect and to water infiltration and collection.
Community gardening is a social event. If Ons Genot disappears, many people will suffer: the 200 allotment gardeners and their families, volunteers from outside the association who work in the allotment garden and, of course, the many visitors such as the lunchtime walkers from the Nieuw Overvecht industrial estate.
Ons Genot and allotment gardens belong in the neighbourhood
AVVN advocates that the beautiful nature and recreational green spaces of Ons Genot become an integral part of the new neighbourhood to be built - with all the green and recreational functions they offer.
According to the AVVN, it is a mystery why a green gem like Ons Genot, with all its benefits for the municipality and a long-term lease agreement with the municipality, is suddenly under threat. Does the municipality still have a good idea of the added value of allotment gardens? AVVN invites the board to a new introduction to allotment gardening. A visit to Ons Genot fits in with this.
More information:
Visitors are welcome at Ons Genot! You will find them at 2e Polderweg 5 in Utrecht.
Opening hours: In summer from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm & in winter on Wednesdays and
Saturdays.
You can find more information on the Ons Genot website.
3 March was "World Wildlife Day" (UN World Wildlife Day). This was introduced in 1973 as part of the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This agreement protects endangered wild species (animals and plants).
CITES primarily protects endangered species from trade and regulates their keeping and breeding. However, the intention of protecting endangered animals and plants from extinction can also be supported on a small scale in your own garden.
Contribution of the allotment gardeners
Some wild animals seek refuge in allotment gardens because they are driven out of their traditional habitats by agriculture and building activities.
By creating diverse habitats, we as allotment garden families can protect these displaced species and contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.
We leave leaves and brushwood piles for hedgehogs. Native shrubs and natural hedges are important retreats and food sources for birds and should be used instead of thujas and cherry laurel. Fortunately, these and other nature-orientated recommendations are already frequently implemented.
In this article, we want to focus on a small insect that is an endangered species. Allotment gardeners can contribute to its conservation by providing a variety of habitats and by gardening in a natural way.
Shining example
Exactly! Fireflies are a rare but all the more popular guest in your own garden.
In the case of the "small fireflies" (common firefly), the flying male puts on a light show in summer. If, on the other hand, you discover a fixed light shining on the ground, this is the female of the "large firefly" trying to attract a mate.
Fireflies are not only beautiful to look at in the garden, they are also important beneficial insects. The larvae prefer to eat slugs and snails, which they kill with their venomous bites.
The example of the firefly shows how important the diversity of habitats in the garden is.
Their original habitat is forest edges, bushes, damp meadows and gardens. In the course of its perennial development, the firefly needs different habitats.
These include warm sunny and moist shady spots, shrubs for a better view when searching for a mate, as well as piles of branches and dry stone walls for shelter. A flower or herb meadow would be ideal for the fireflies. But at least in one part of the garden, you should provide a wild corner.
Females are particularly well attracted by the heat generated by piles of cuttings left lying around. However, you should never try to "relocate" fireflies from their home territory yourself.
The greatest danger to the firefly is the use of slug pellets and other synthetic pesticides. Mineral fertilisers should also be replaced with compost and organic fertilisers. Light pollution is also an ever-increasing danger for the luminous beneficial insects. The larvae become less active due to light and their successful search for mates is severely disrupted. Artificial lighting should therefore be minimised as far as possible. Necessary light sources should only shine directly onto the ground. Motion detectors can be used to reduce the duration of lighting.
Supporting natural species diversity
Even if we have limited ourselves to the firefly today, many endangered species naturally benefit from the diversity of habitats in your own garden. For example, herb snails with dry stone walls are an ideal retreat for lizard species and a sandarium is the ideal nesting place for endangered wild bees.
Not only animals but also plants are protected by the species protection agreement. In the interests of biodiversity, allotment gardeners can contribute to the continued existence of rare species through the diversity of varieties of herbs, fruit, vegetables and other plants. Swap your "treasures" with your neighbours or visit one of the rarities exchanges to achieve this diversity. In this way, species beyond the mass assortment from the DIY and garden centres are preserved and in turn provide animals with food and alternative habitats.
The UN World Wildlife Day is not just a declaration of intent by the United Nations. We allotment gardeners can support endangered wild species by gardening close to nature and providing a diverse range of habitats in our own "little green space".
We recommend the "VERSATILE GREEN SPACES" guidelines from the SYM:BIO project as support for implementation.
