Wildscaping in Kingston Ontario
The Project:
Rideau 1000 Islands Master Gardeners is spearheading a community wildscaping project in the Kingston region this summer and fall. They are working with community partners and homeowners to turn front lawns into ecological 'wildscapes' mimicking natural ecosystems as a way to regenerate the health of the spaces where we live and work.
Each yard will be an individual project, suited to the site conditions and working toward a specific theme and goals. Regenerative gardening criteria will be employed on all of the sited and the SOUL Organic Land Care Standard will be the overall guideline.
The Workshops:
To set the stage for the project, Regeneration Canada will be hosting a gardening workshop on Monday, August 12th to prepare stakeholders and engage the public in the techniques and climate and ecosystem restoration possibilities of regenerative and rewilded gardens and landscapes. Full details here.
A follow-up workshop on the naturalistic approach to planting design will be held September 7th with special guest speaker, Tony Spencer, The New Perennialist. Further details will be posted closer the the event date.
Planting Day:
The wildscaping of lawns across the city will take place on October 5th. Further details will be posted closer the the event date.
The People Behind the Project:
Read about 'Rewilding My City' by Joyce Hostyn, the Master Gardener who is coordinating this project.
Astrid Muschalla, Certified Organic Land Care Professional and long time SOUL member, has been actively involved with this project as part of her ongoing work to shift how people see a landscape, their relationship to the natural world, and what makes a garden beautiful.
The project team has been approaching city council on this rewilding initiative and are seeking a Councillor and home owner from every municipal ward to partner with a wildscaping coach to work on each private front lawn, to support the transformations of lawns to 'beescaping', ‘birdscaping', edible landscaping (in partnership with Loving Spoonful) , meadowscaping, rainscaping, ‘seedscaping' (in partnership with KASSI) or whichever rewilding and regenerative theme the homeowner and coach decide on.
Monday, Aug 12, 2019, 6:00-9pm at Central Library, 130 Johnson St., Kingston
Wondering if you can make a difference in tackling our climate emergency? You can! By changing the way you manage your land and soil, you can become part of a global regeneration movement that is drawing carbon out of the atmosphere, sequestering it in soil and regenerating ecosystem health.
Our soils have lost over 50% of their carbon. But we now know how to put carbon back into the soil while at the same time increasing biodiversity, and regenerating ecosystem health. In this workshop, aimed at homeowners, landscapers, parks employees, you'll learn about:
• Soil science: Why have our soils lost 50% of their carbon? A brief overview of the chemistry, physics, and biology of soil. Learn how to diagnosis the health of your soil.
• Soil is a living miracle: Learn about the vast network of beings that live in the soil, how they interact to form the soil food web, and their critical role in soil, plant, and planet health.
• Putting carbon back into the soil: Regenerative practices - sequester carbon while improving biodiversity, fertility and yield - including permaculture, composting, minimum tillage, agroforestry, agroecology, cover cropping, and wildscaping.
• Becoming a regenerative consumer: How you can help build, support and contribute to a regenerative future by changing your landscaping and purchasing habits.
Presenter - Antonious Petro
Graduate in biology, community economic development and certified in permaculture, Antonious is passionate about soil regeneration, social innovation and is dedicated to the fight against climate change. He is currently responsible for soil and environment projects at Regeneration Canada and a master's student in soil science.
Regeneration Canada is a nonprofit organization that promotes land management practices that regenerate soil health, in order to mitigate climate change, restore biodiversity, improve water cycles, and support a more productive and just food system. We strive towards this goal by empowering farmers, landowners, scientists, agronomists, horticulturists, community organizations, governments, and consumers to play a role in soil regeneration.
Cost : $30
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