Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed

Organic Without Borders (OWB) is an NGO (ideell förening) that works to develop and support methods for a sustainable future anywhere in the world. The NGO develops methods through socio-ecological city farming and working pedagogically with children and adults and their relationship to food and farming in Sweden and other countries (ref.1).

The landscape in the Bielefeld agglomeration is exposed to stress from high settlement pressure and expansion of the infrastructure as well as in parts of intensive agricultural use (2). Since 2003, the Senne and neighbouring areas of the Teutoburg Forest which is protected under the Europe-wide protected area system, Natura 2000, become part of the funding program of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and become one of Agency's Large-scale nature conservation projects (NGP) (2, 5,13).
The project area lies in the transition area between two major German landscapes: the Senne as part of the north-west German lowlands and the Teutoburg Forest as part of the Central European low mountain range. The juxtaposition and close interlocking of numerous habitats such as species-rich beech forests, remains of acidic deciduous mixed forests, dry and humid heathland or natural sandy streams form the basis for diverse flora and fauna. Many of the numerous rare plant and animal species are rarely found in North Rhine-Westphalia outside of the NGP area (13).

The natural area complex Senne and Teutoburg Forest was declared by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) to be one of the 30 hotspots of biological diversity in Germany due to its nationwide uniqueness ( overview map ). These “Treasure Chests of Nature” (BfN 2015) distinguish regions in Germany that have a particularly high density and diversity of characteristic habitats, species and populations.(13)
The NGP was funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia with contribution of participating municipalities and the North Rhine-Westphalia Foundation (13). The Teutoburg Forest / Eggegebirge Nature Park is also sponsoring the project (12).

"Flowers in the city' is a small project in the northern district of Szczecin to plant multi-species flowers in the green belt between two big city roads. The preparation of the meadow consists of removing the layer of turf and planting the corresponding species of flowers in different colours in different periods of the year so that the flower carpet flourishes for most of the vegetation season. The justification for the project highlights its esthetical effects, its role in serving as a food area for pollinators as well as a cost reduction for the lawn care units due to less annual mowing [1].

Located in the neighborhood of Pla del Bon Repòs com, Carolines Altes, Carolines Baixes and Campoamor, the community orchard of Carolines is an initiative to transform an abandoned lot into a sustainable garden and a community orchard (Ref. 2). "The place where this orchard is located was an abandoned space for 20 years where a large amount of garbage accumulated. The neighbors decided to clean the area by giving it a use with an orchard area, meeting area, gardening. The people responsible for it are the assembly of neighbors. It is also an action to combat the physical and psychological degradation of the neighborhood, being the community garden an excuse for this, but also a fundamental pillar where these ideas are based." (Ref. 2)

Opened in 1987, Lo Morant Park is located in the northern part of the city of Alicante. Its flat surface of 12 hectares is ideal for walking among its vegetated spaces and for the development of multiple activities focused on the neighborhood (Ref. 1). An educational environmental tour of the park is in place for learning and discovering the fauna and flora. The park offers different social activities and facilities (sports facilities, leisure). (Ref. 1). It is the largest park in Alicante with a dimension of twelve hectares, and has a great diversity of plant species and sports and cultural spaces. (Ref. 3)

The Urban Environment Observatory is located on a plot of 7,000 square meters of surface transformed into a garden with native vegetation. It is comprised by a library, an Assembly Hall, exposition rooms and spaces for educational activities. There was planned to be a cistern that would collect the rainwater that will serve for irrigation of the garden and the garden terraces (Ref. 1 and 7). The project has since been halted for what seems to be politically-relevant financial reasons, according to Ref 8:"everyone has many explanations to give about the current situation of an unfinished building after more than a five-year period".

The park will have a surface of 100.000 sqm. It is designed to be the beating heart between municipality offices, fashion and culture related buildings, vital train connections and residential areas. The paths generate a mosaic of irregular plots. Each with specific groups of plant species, grasses or lawn. Circular tree groupings are superimposed on these plots, and together they will form a botanic library. The vegetal patches alternate with water and hard materials, thus creating a series of public spaces that house cultural and recreational program (1).

Rehabilitation project of the Ranillas stream and its surrounding area, as part of the larger city project to rehabilitate the waterways connected to the Guadalquivir River. The project included transforming the covered canal into a green corridor connecting the Tamarguillo Park with the Infanta Elena Park. It sought to build pedestrian walkways, leisure spaces, lengthen the bike lanes, increase tree cover, and restructure the covering of the canal. (Ref 1-6)

In 2010, about 300 people participated in the planting program for the “350” project and under the “Verde por el Clima” program (Green for the climate) organized by the Department of Environment, Cordoba city council (Concejalía de Medio Ambiente). (Ref. 3)

A citizen initiative to transform a derelict urban area into a park. From 1987 the park's construction was left abandoned until in 1993 when over 80 citizen committees from the area organized themselves to start cleaning and reforestation activities in the park (ref 5,7). The sum of their efforts included reforestation, the creation of a community garden, and the redesign of watering systems for the park. (ref 5,6,7)