Provision of labour

The educational project of a roof-top garden was integrated in the public primary school “Ferran Sunyer”, in the neighborhood of Sant Antoni, Barcelona. The project has motivated pupils to enter the world of urban horticulture, creating synergies with other lectures and has been well received by teachers and parents. This initiative aims to recover nature-appreciation values in children through the maintenance of a rooftop garden and orchard (Ref. 1). The rooftop school orchard has been featured in many videos in international media (Ref. 5).

The Hort de la Masia de l'Antic Jardí Botànic is located within the city’s largest inner-city park Montjuic. It has been founded in 2008 by an association of volunteers and is supported by public and private entities. The garden is co-management by members of the association and a professional gardener. Its major objective is the maintenance and reproduction of traditional landraces (Ref. 2). The task of the Citizen's Commission of Support of the Botanical Garden, presided by Pere Duran, was supported by the promotion work from the Botanical Institute. It was therefore a necessity generated by a local group of people (citizens) that developed into an implementation plan (Ref 1).

This is a co-management initiative fostered by the City Council of Barcelona that aims to involve civil society in defining, installing and managing unused spaces across all districts of the city. The city council provides temporary use for public entities or non-profit associations to develop temporary uses and activities (from one year to three renewable years) in order to promote social activism and cohesion in the neighborhood. Most part of activities are social urban gardens (Ref 1). The initiative had 2 editions, with 12 projects in the first one (2013) and 5 projects in the second one (2015) (Ref. 12). One of the most popular projects is the community gardens such as ConnectHort, in Poblenou, dedicated to permaculture, which has allowed the restoration of an abandoned area through sustainable urban agriculture practices (Ref. 12). Another project, the Illa dels Tres Horts project in the Font de la Guatlla neighborhood, is an orchard where work is done with vulnerable groups and allow the recovery of vulnerable species (Ref. 12)

Fil vert aims to help green the streets in Normandy and raise awareness among citizens of the importance of being an actor of their daily life with regard to the occupation of public space. They aim to "embellish our streets, which are often devoid of vegetation, but also to train responsible citizens" (Ref. 7). "Operation "Fil Vert" was launched at Croix de Pierre (District) in Rouen in September 2013 to beautify and revitalize the district by mobilizing residents and tradespeople. It aims of installing planters in front of the inhabitants and the merchants (subject to obtaining the agreement of the owners in case of hiring), along the pavements, provided that it makes at least 1.40 M width to allow strollers and wheelchairs to pass." (Ref. 3)

The orchard of the Vallon was established by the city in an area that had historically served as an orchard fifty years previous (Ref. 9). A few pear trees had survived and gave rise to the idea of ​​reconstituting it. In 2014, the city planted apple, peach, pear, cherry, apricot and other fruit trees on one and a half hectares of greenery. "At the beginning of 2015, the association Le Verger du Vallon was born. With its members, its mission is to maintain these trees with a view to sharing knowledge and educational exchanges "(Ref. 9). "Called upon by the city of Rouen for the establishment of a participatory orchard, the social center wished to promote this project among the inhabitants within the framework of the arrow projects of the CAF (social security) de la Seine Maritime entering the field of financing "to support a cooperative project of residents initiated and built with them from a common concern " (Ref. 3, page Description).

Mariahof is a community garden in which a large variety of actors is involved including citizens, schools and an NGO that supports social inclusion. In the garden, vegetables are grown for non-commercial food production, organic waste is composted and bees are kept for pollination and honey production (1,2,3,6). The garden works to raise awareness about sustainability and nature stewardship in an urban setting (2).

The FUTURE - a project of 100,000 trees in the Porto Metropolitan Area - is a planned and coordinated effort of various organizations and citizens to create and maintain native urban forests in this region, which needs to enrich its biodiversity, sequester carbon, improve quality of air, protect their soil and contribute to a better quality of life for regional people. The 100,000 Trees Project for the Porto Metropolitan Area” intends to restore 100 hectares of urban forest with native trees. (1, 2)

The Hanging Gardens of Jonfosse is a "nature garden". It is used to be a derelict area, but now the area is leased by the nature protection association Natagora to the SNCB-Holding as an opportunity to preserve the rich biodiversity of the place. Natagora uses the project as a teaching garden and they organize public visits during various events. They use the community's help for maintaining the area. In addition to the management, the gardeners usually meet on Saturday afternoons to maintain the plots (Ref. 1).

Situated next to Bebington railway station, the site is of biological importance within Wirral. This urban nature reserve was developed on a former railway sidings and is now an oasis of green tranquility in densely populated urban area; its industrial past has been put to good use as a home for wildlife (e.g. on the thin, nutrient there are now carpets of wild flowers, including wild carrot & occasional bee orchids). Up to 26 species of butterfly have been recorded here, with 18 species breeding on site - giving the park its rather apt name. (Ref. 1, 2)

New Ferry Butterfly Park has been awarded a Green Flag for the seventh year, which signifies that the space boasts the "highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities". (Ref. 12)

As part of their school curriculum, engineering students from the engineering school "ESIGELEC" (École supérieure d'ingénieurs en génie électrique, in english Graduate School of Electrical Engineering) had to carry out a Project of Initiative and Creativity. They have chosen to build an indoor garden with an intergenerational component in the Lamauve retirement residence in Rouen in collaboration with Saint-Léon primary school (Ref. 1).