Educational Garden in a Public Park (Badalona)

The idea of this Educational Garden (Jardí de les Ciències) was born during a meeting of Aloc members (Helena, Roberto, David, Josep Maria, Fernando, Eva and me). We decided to create this space of agriculture inside a public park (Parc de Can Solei i Ca l'Arnús).

Last activity in Jardi de les Ciències (Badalona)

The main objectives of this garden are:

• Connecting citizens with agriculture.
• Show different crops that they had been cultivated in Badalona or that they had been related to Badalona's Industry.
• Offering activities to families or all schools of Badalona or Barcelona Metropolitan Area.

With these ideas we presented our project to Badalona City Council and Barcelona Metropolitan Council. They accepted our idea and we began to work together. 

After several meetings, 19 of April 2015 we planted/ sowed our first crops (cash crops, vegetables, herbs, vines...). 

Activity with pupils in Ca L'Arnús Park

We have carried out more than 10 activities. More of 300 people (families with children or adults) have participated in these activities.

We have achieved these objectives:

• Connecting people with agriculture: we offered activities related to cereals, pulses and crops to produce sugar and vegetables.
• We offer an activity with Badalona's Museum to explain Cereals during the roman times.

We have not achieved to offer activities to schools, all schools not only one school (the space is a public park opened to the city).

Planting mints

Each activity needs time to be prepared, to look for plant material (seeds, cuttings ...), to be carried out, elaborate materials and control weekly the crops.

In my personal opinion (after 2 years of this initiative), these projects need a economical support. I do not know if they should be paid by public administration, by the schools or the citizens that they attend to the activities.

I was influenced by several projects of urban agriculture that I had seen in European cities (Malmö, Wien, Sofia, Brussels ...) during my participation in an European Project call COST Action Urban Agriculture Europe and COST Action Urban Allotment gardens.