Prendiamoci cura della Terra

EARTH GARDENERS AT THE FESTIVAL OF THE SPONTANEOUS HERBS OF USSARAMANNA

The cover of the brochure of the Festival of Spontaneous Herbs

There were also us in Ussaramanna on 6 and 7 April, at the Festival of Spontaneous Herbs organized by the Municipality with the support of the Diomedea Cooperative and the Botanical Garden of Cagliari.

In a room of the Casa Accalai, adjacent to the exhibition dedicated to wild herbs, we have set up 3 exhibitions, an integral part of our Nomad Cultural Project “Earthgardening – us and the Planet”, created to promote a holistic approach to environmental and social issues.

The three pyramidal cardboard totems, shown in the exhibitions, were made by ONDULOR, the  Sardinian leading papermaking company in the sector of corrugated cardboard packaging, and have been produced in full compliance with ethical, social and environmental standards along the entire processing chain.

The exhibitions were designed to perform different functions in the approach to territorial communication. The contents of the exhibitions, expressed with images and texts, aimed at directing the visitor to a more attentive reading of the territory, at helping a better understanding of its fragility while inspiring reflections that should favor the construction of more aware landscapes. The first exhibition consists of five panels, the second and third ones of four panels:

“Trees against instability” exhibition deals with the serious damage that the lack of vegetation, due to fires and indiscriminate cuts, causes to men and things. It contains simple principles of territorial management, able to eliminate the most frequent causes of hydrogeological instability.

“The Mediterranean Scrub: the adaptations of the flora” exhibition focuses the interest on the strategies that this precious plant formation has put into action while evolving. It is meant as a way to facilitate both the minute observation of the vegetation that lives on our territory and the understanding of how much damage the introduction of alien plants can cause to the Mediterranean landscapes.

“The lawn of wonders” exhibition, by comparing an English lawn with a natural lawn, suggests behaviors that can make even the smallest garden a place of wonders for us and a safe haven for all those useful and pretty little animals that industrial agriculture exterminates.

Despite two days of cloudy sky and a cold and persistent rain that quenched the thirst of Campidano fields, there were many visitors who challenged the inclement weather.

The themes dealt with, the shape, the colors, the designs, the captivating graphics that make the panels pleasantly legible, have aroused the interest of the many visitors i.e. citizens, teachers, experts and, above all, children, who had fun with the animations of a hedgehog and a bee, viewable through two QR codes printed on the panels, which told of their lives.

The children, but also their parents, are galvanized by Apina Rosina and Greedy Riccetto golosonetelling their adventures.

Also the materials and teaching aids prepared to complete the event have aroused strong interest, above all from the part of teachers and operators of education to sustainability.

The teaching aids on display.

This event has allowed us to meet people, make contacts and establish relationships. Our association network is expanding!

Now the exhibitions have become itinerant. In order to adapt them to this function, they have been made removable and readable. The material, recycled and recyclable, responds to our essential needs of eco-sustainability.

The exhibitions are available to schools, associations, institutions, groups of citizens, … In short, anyone who wants to share our popular and educational project or want to integrate it into other initiatives.