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Addressing social issues Another recurring theme is that of improving community
cohesion and addressing issues of social exclusion. Many
This section looks at the focus of the community projects projects offer an arena for individuals from the local area,
carried out by the botanic gardens who participated in this whether they are from different communities and cultures or
study. In other words, we will look in detail at the kinds of social not, to mix. This can have a positive impact on the individual,
issues addressed. The aim is to highlight the vast range of issues by allowing them to feel (and actually be) more involved in
a garden can and will tackle in work of this nature and to show society and their community. A member of staff from SottoVico
that there are a variety of angles from which to approach the BG explained the impact volunteering can have on adults
development process. with learning disabilities: ‘Coming to the garden, they [project
participants] always find the same people and they get to know
The social issues a garden can address are limited only by each other and know people by their names and their jobs.
the skills and interests of staff and the connections with They are not lost in the crowd, people recognize them. They
communities and other organisations it has. There are some greet them, they stop. This simple human relation doesn’t
areas which are common to most, if not all, projects – for happen nowadays. Everybody is looking after them to make
example, addressing the disconnection from nature noted in them feel welcome to the community.’ Alternatively, projects
many, particularly urban, populations. This was commented on can allow a community to mix in a way designed to ease
by Morris Arboretum staff who, through their project Partners tension. As Culiacán BG staff found, working with gang
in Education, give the opportunity for students from low- members in an attempt to reduce local levels of violence:
income families to experience the arboretum through multiple ‘The garden can be this integration tool, this link [that] will
visits: ‘All of these kids are city kids and for a whole lot of them transform the way we resolve their differences, creating
their school playground is black top… So just to get them to contexts that reduce these antisocial behaviours.’
come out here and feel comfortable in a space that is this big,
is kind of huge. But then also in the long run… to feel like that Apart from these common social issues a garden will probably
is their space also and to feel like they need to protect it.’ cover in any of its socially minded activity, there are many
By facilitating visits, like Morris Arboretum, or providing skills for others it will be in a position to tackle. These can have broad
a community to develop their own, as does GreenBridge from global significance like food security, as addressed by Denver
Brooklyn BG, a community project will enable participants to BG (see page 22), or may be relevant to a particular country
spend more time in a natural setting, and this, like gardening or regions of it, for example, large-scale unemployment, which
itself, is increasingly shown to be linked to better mental health is addressed at the Balkan BG (see page 14). Other issues may
and wellbeing. So an improvement in wellbeing is a common affect distinct groups and include disability, access to education,
benefit of socially relevant projects. Similarly, at the Nacadia poverty, forced displacement, extinction of traditional
Healing Forest Garden of Hørsholm Arboretum a ‘mindfulness knowledge, and so on.
inspired nature based therapy’ programme offers treatment to
women who suffer from work-related stress and also to war Whatever the problem being addressed, project development
veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (see pages 28, can be approached from more than one angle. A garden may
33 and 30 respectively). identify the social issue and then find a way it can help, or it
might look at an environmental or conservation issue and try
Farmers in Kenya learn how to establish native tree nurseries to engage the local community by addressing some of the
social problems they face, or it can go for something in between
©as part of the Citi Entrepreneurs project Timothy Pearce (see Figure 2). We can see this in more detail by looking at
some of our case studies.
8 CARING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY | A MANUAL FOR BOTANIC GARDENS
