1. General information
2. Objectives of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
1. Sustainable production of vegetables, education and social cohesion and equity. (1,2,3). Sustainable production of vegetables: by making use of crop rotation and organic agriculture techniques (no pesticides or chemicals) (1,6)
2. Raise awareness through vegetable and butterfly gardens about nature. This goal setting also includes the education, as children are educated by citizens including elderly people about nature and the basics of growing fruit, vegetables and flowers and citizens exchange knowledge regarding sustainable agriculture techniques (2,5,6)
3. Encourage connection between citizens of all ages. Everyone can participate and the garden is maintained by neighbourhood citizens, volunteers and two primary schools and the harvest is shared equally among participants of the garden. Some of the vegetables go to Resto Van Harte, an NGO/restaurant that promotes social cohesion (1,2,3,6)
4. Break down myths about sustainability such as being expensive or complicated (5)
2. Raise awareness through vegetable and butterfly gardens about nature. This goal setting also includes the education, as children are educated by citizens including elderly people about nature and the basics of growing fruit, vegetables and flowers and citizens exchange knowledge regarding sustainable agriculture techniques (2,5,6)
3. Encourage connection between citizens of all ages. Everyone can participate and the garden is maintained by neighbourhood citizens, volunteers and two primary schools and the harvest is shared equally among participants of the garden. Some of the vegetables go to Resto Van Harte, an NGO/restaurant that promotes social cohesion (1,2,3,6)
4. Break down myths about sustainability such as being expensive or complicated (5)
Quantitative targets
unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Implementation activities
- Maintenance of the vegetable garden by neighbourhood citizens, volunteers from Resto Van Harte and children from two primary schools of the neighbourhood (1,6)
- Growing healthy crops sustainably by means of crop rotation and no use of pesticides or chemicals (6)
- Building of a bee houses for beekeeping to support for pollination and honey production (1,6)
- Construction of a composting site where organic waste can be collected by citizens and turned into plant nutrients. (1)
- Organisation of social activities such as pick nicks, cleaning days, food tastings and children educational activities (1)
- Growing healthy crops sustainably by means of crop rotation and no use of pesticides or chemicals (6)
- Building of a bee houses for beekeeping to support for pollination and honey production (1,6)
- Construction of a composting site where organic waste can be collected by citizens and turned into plant nutrients. (1)
- Organisation of social activities such as pick nicks, cleaning days, food tastings and children educational activities (1)
Type of NBS project
3. NBS domains, ES and scale
4. Governance and financing
5. Innovation
Type of innovation
Novelty level of the innovation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
De Mariahof is not the first community garden in The Hague, but it is exceptional because combines sustainable agriculture, education, social equity and community composting. [1-3].
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
De Stichting Tuinen van Mariahoeve (Foundation Gardens of Mariahoeve, community group) has supported multiple similar citizen initiatives across The Hague including vegetable and flower gardens since the creation of de Mariahof such as 'Catharinaland' [4]. The community group will continue supporting new initiatives to increase awareness regarding the environment and education on sustainability [5].
