Trees 2019-2020

artkruh_projekty_trees

We choose as a topic for this project trees, because they are a symbol of long term perspective, a way of thinking and living. During this project we will work on this subject with different approaches. Trees as a complex living system. The Tree of life as a symbol of connecting earth and sky. And as a physical approach, on how to care about the already existing ones. How, where, when, and why to plant new ones.

“Trees” is EVS project for young people from EU program countries. They will come to Prenčov village in Slovak rural area, to learn about permacultura and handicrafts, to support educational opportunities for local community, and to explore possibilities of rural lifestyle.

Trees are metaphorical topic, teaching us about individual and community, about roots and growth, about water cycle and our environment. But we will also focus on building of fruit tree garden. Objectives of the project are community work, rising intercultural awareness among local people, empowering of local community, organizing traditional cultural events and development of personal project. Projects methodology is broad, built on non-formal methods of education, enriched by methods of permacultura, dragon dreaming project management and handicrafts. „Trees“ intends to contribute towards development of civil society and sustainable rural development, lead young people to active participation and support personal development in the frames of local economical, ecological and socio-cultural sustainability.

We want to support volunteers to get skilled and competent, in a variety of things that are important for life in rural areas and for life in a community. They will discover rules and principles of life close to the nature. We want to support and develop their creativity and entrepreneurship, so they are able to discover potential and sources offered by the countryside. Thus enabling people to live a meaningful and real life in rural areas.

RESULTS OF THE PROJECT:

This project was succesfully finished on 31.7. 2020. Volunteers from France, Spain, Italy and Croatia has returned home but lot of valuable results remained. So what we did during this year?

We worked a lot in a garden using knowledge and skills of permacultura. We had a lot of crops as a reward for hard work. Particular result was renewal of old fruit tree garden. Specific course with specialist was organized on topic of care about fruit trees and we cared whole year about this garden using knowledge and skills from this course. Not only we cared about older trees, but we also planted new ones, so our work will bring benefits long after the end.

Another result was connected with local musem Black kitchen. We repaired wooden floor in the back room, painted walls and organized several nice events here for visitors baking bread or pizza in traditional wood owen, meanwhile introducing the natural craftsmenship and building techniques to visitors.

We supported local community by teaching children foreign languages – english and spanish in local schools, as well as teaching adults in local community centre.

We also focused on kreativity and various traditional crafts, so we had pottery workshops, woodcarving workshops, jewelery making (including searching for gems in local forests) so volunteers learned lot of new skills and techniques, having a chance to share some of them with other people on open workshops.

Volunteers also developed individual project building „pathway towards the forest“. They built wooden stairway on the hillside at the end of our garden, connecting garden and open meadows on the hills around. Stairway is followed by forest path supported by wooden railing.