Během března 2025 se dost zatřáslo světem lesních zahrad. Na sociálních sítích a v emailových schránkách lesních zahradníků a agrolesníků, (kterým chodí zpravodaj nebo byli účastníky Agroforestry Sympozia), proletěla zpráva o tom, že hrozí konec jedné lesní zahrady, a protože tato zahrada není jen tak ledajaká, zvedla se obrovská podpora lidí po celém světě, vznikla petice, sbírka a k tomu kampaň. Jedlá lesní zahrada v hrabství Darlington je totiž spojená s Martinem Crawfordem a Agroforestry Reseach Trust, a je inspirací pro tisíce návštěvníků a lesních zahradníků a studentů už přes 30 let, protože Martin Crawford je osoba dost známá. Krom toho, že je autrem knih a o tématu přednáší, je zván na mnohá sympozia, konference, setkání agrolesníků i permakulturních zahradníků, a je souástí několika výzkůmných programů v rámci Agroforestry Reseach Trust (agrolesnický výzkumný trast).
Zakoupení pozemku je totiž v Británii skoro nemožné, a tak je zahrada v dlouholetém nájmu, a letos se majitelé pozemků rozhodli, že zaprvé neprodlouží pronájem, ale chystají se část pozemků, na které zahrada roste, použít na jiné účely – tedy postupně odstranit stromy.
O této zahradě, jako ukázkovém příkladu “edible forest garden” pro mírné klima, bylo natočeno mnoho filmových dokumentů, včetně BBC, video-prohlídky jsou na youtube z různých období vývoje zahrady, zahrada je zdrojem mnoha a rostlin a semen, učí se tu kurzy, konají se pravidelně komentované prohlídky pro skoro 1000 lidí ročně…. Martin Crawford je autorem několika knih o tématu jedlých lesních zahrad a jedlých trvalých rostlin – Creating a forest garden, Shrubs for forest gardens, Trees for Gardens, Orchards & Permaculture, Shrubs for Gardens, Orchards & Permaculture, How to grow your own nuts, Food from your forest garden, najdete je na stránce Agroforestry Reseach Trust (ART).
Pro orientaci v tématu vám sem přinášíme pravidelné příspěvky od Agroforestry Research Trust (v angličtině), jak chodí obden a informují o aktuálním vývoji situace.
Jak můžete pomoci? Připojit se můžete jak k petici, ke sbírce anebo vyjádřit svoji podporu v komentáři (pokud zahradu znáte), anebo pokud zakoupíte publikace od ART, podpoříte tím nejen autory, ale také se dozvíte spoustu informací o tématu jedlých lesních zahrad.
The Issue
Sign this petition to stop Dartington Hall Trust destroying a groundbreaking 31 year food forest project of international importance. The landmark site has inspired and educated thousands of people from all around the world (including our own forest garden at Sussex) as well as hosted imported scientific research on carbon storage.
“Throwing us off is not the same as giving a tenant in a building notice – they can easily move. This food forest is irreplaceable. It is literally priceless. What the DHT are doing is ecological vandalism driven by greed… we obviously need a secure long term tenancy, and we spent 4 years negotiating this with Dartington Hall Trust and had a verbal agreement to go ahead with the last CEO Alan Bolden. Then with regime change they reneged on that agreement and refused to give us a long term deal.” Garden founder Martin Crawford.
Sign this petition to show we value this irreplaceable ecosystem and reject corporate greed.
For more information,
Go to: https://www.agroforestry.co.uk/save-dartington-forest-garden
Or to see Dartington Forest Garden’s legacy at Sussex: https://www.instagram.com/forestgardensussex
the QR code for donations
University of Sussex Forest Garden Society shared an update on Stop the Destruction of the World-Renowned Dartington Forest Garden
Mar 30, 2025
Thank you to all the amazing people who have signed this petition– the support has quite frankly shocked Dartington Hall Trust. The public pressure you have applied by signing and writing to them has forced them to engage in discussion about securing Dartington Forest Garden’s future.
As it stands, they have agreed to uphold the lease until it ends in 3.5 years, so the focus is now on how we can secure the forest garden beyond that in perpetuity.
The campaign is by no means over as the garden has not been guaranteed long-term security. However, it is now moving to a stage of negotiation and discussion, with the understanding that any decisions against permanently protecting the garden, will be met strong opposition from a large community steadfast in its support of Martin and ART.
Stay tuned for updates and the launch of a crowdfunding page in the near future.
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Mar 26, 2025
Statement from ART on the Forest Garden at Dartington
This afternoon our landlords have released a public statement (https://www.dartington.org/forest-garden-update/ which contain a number of misleading statements which we feel we have to correct.
“We have had constructive and productive discussions with Martin over the past week.”
No, we had one meeting on Weds 19th March when positive noises were made by DHT representatives. Then on Tuesday 25th March we had an email from David Triesman failing to address our need for long term security of the site. We would not have met otherwise.
“Eviction was not on the agenda and is not the intention.”
We were served notice by one member of DHT staff which was then queried by us, to be confirmed by Nick Harris (COO). Obviously eviction was on the agenda.
“Our objective is simple: to work with Martin to agree a physical solution for making the boundary of the forest garden secure and safe, meeting the needs of a prospective tenant for the larger adjoining site of the former college. Nothing more.”
That may be so, but that wasn’t what our meeting on 19th March concentrated on, which was our need for long term security of the site following an irrevocable breakdown in trust between ART and DHT as a result of the eviction notice.
“He has already gained a legal opinion telling him he has good security of tenure”
DHT have not rescinded their notice to quit. Whether they do so or not is now irrelevant as our lease runs out in just over 3 years in any case – this is not good security of tenure.
“That is a longer term conversation”
No, we agreed in our meeting on 19th March that security of tenure is something that we need answers to speedily. Thus our extreme disappointment that David Triesman’s letter of 25th March failed to offer us anything in the way of long term security options.
From our perspective any agreement to a physical solution – ie fencing – to satisfy the SEN school interested in taking over the ex-Schumacher College buildings is inextricably linked to DHT coming forward with a solution giving us long term security of tenure. We have written to David Triesman making this point and publicly call on DHT to see sense and come to an agreement on this.
Mar 20, 2025
Martin Crawford writes that he had a good meeting in the forest garden yesterday with representatives from Dartington Hall Trust (trustee David Triesman, Interim CEO Robert Fedder and Chief Operations Officer Nick Harris) and is looking forward to further discussions next week.
Agroforestry Research Trust are hopeful that long-term security for their site is achievable quite quickly. Its good to keep the signatures coming in but for now please moderate any comments and hold on any fund-raising for a few more days.
Thanks for your continued support.
Mar 17, 2025
Hi everyone,
We’ve been blown away by the support of this petition and want to thank everyonefor signing, sharing and donating money to raise awareness.
We just want to highlight that any money donated goes straight to Change.org and is not part of a Crowdfunder for saving the garden.
There may be future chances to donate but we advise holding off for now, as the petition has so much momentum already.
Continue signing and sharing.
Stay tuned for updates!
