PDF file - Community Services Center

I like this story and wanted to share it because itshows how one man's actions led to a communitygarden that now brings local people together (theybuilt a deck area, where they often sit and chat).It also means that this food travels a very shortdistance to peoples' kitchens and stomachs and thepeople who have grown it know exactly what hasbeen put on to it in terms of fertilizer and pesticides(hopefully none). In addition to this, these plantsattract insects like butterflies and other creaturessuch as birds and lizards. They also help reduce theurban heat island effect caused by concrete and steelstructures that absorb heat from the sun during theday and radiate it back out at night. It shows tome that there is huge potential in Taipei, and othercities to make quicker use of vacant land for growingfood and that people are very keen, motivated, andsuccessful in growing their own food when given theopportunity. I hope to see it happen more.If there is vacant land near where you live, howabout asking around and getting permission to dosomething productive with it? If there is no suchland, then how about the rooftop of of your or yourfriends’ apartment?this urban gardening story was documentedin more detail in two Youtube videos:http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenTaiwanful#p/u/5/7hRv-WHWMvkWorking in InternationalEducation for 7 years in London,Singapore and now Taiwan,Dylan is a keen advocate forindividuals to take action to dosomething about greening theirenvironment as a first step to alifestyle change that benefits theenvironment.www.communitycenter.org.tw october 201117