What would the world look like if there was no green vegetation in parks, schools, churches, and home?. I guess the environment that lack green vegetation will eventually be a breeding ground for crime and trash. Our environment looks better today because guerrilla gardeners have taken the initiative to plant vegetation on vacant land space. Guerrilla gardening is an environmental friendly group that tries to replace uncultivated land with green plants. most guerrilla gardeners like to carry out their actions at night in secrecy anywhere they can plant seeds. Guerrilla gardening efforts should be encouraged because it has kept the environment safe from diseases and crime.
The earliest record of the term "guerrilla gardening" was being used by Liz Christy and her green guerrilla group in 1973 in Bowey Houston area of New york. They transformed a direct private lot into a garden. The palce is still cared for by volunteers who enjoy the protection of a city park department. Ever since her action of guerilla gardening, the word guereilla has spread around the world developing men and women to be conform to the cultivation of vacant land space.t(Wiki guerrilla gardening p 2).
When i first heard about Guerrilla gardening from my English Mr Wesley I said to myself how can a practice of gardening become a warfare. After listening to my instructor on the topic guerrilla gardening, the idea made perfect sense to me. I decided to conduct a garden warfare in my backyard. I discovered that i had a vacant space in my yard filled with dead leaves, green weeds and some minor trash. My first step was to uproot the green weed from the yard. The experience was hectic, but I did not feel the stress because i was determined to replace the dirt in my yard for a green vegetable yard.
Guerrilla Gardening kept ringing in my head while clearing the grass. After clearing the grass I took my rake and raked out the dirt from my yard. My friend was amazed by what i was doing and she kept asking me what are you doing? I laughed and told her about guerrilla gardening and about my English project. The simple exercise of planting seeds made me realize the importance of guerrilla gardening. Am not only protecting my yard from dirt, but am making good use of my yard space for green vegetation instead of turning my yard into a dungeon of weeds and trash.
Guerrilla gardening have been recognized by many police department as an effective community crime prevention strategy. "In Philadelphia, burglaries and theft in one district dropped by 90 percent after police helped residents to clean up vacant lots and planted gardens" (Healing America's cities p.5-6, as cited in England,2001). When thieves see a plot of land covered with vegetation the tendency of crime taking place there decreases because vegetation creates an open space for relaxation thereby exposing everyone that goes into the plot of land. Thieves would prefer a close place to operate instead of an open space.
Guerrilla gardeners in New york city called the green guerrillas have been active for some years and have been able to impact positive change in their environment. They have provided important services to their neighborhood for years such services are, they grow fresh foods, they connect kids to the earth, they cultivate green spaces and plant tress in parks, they give seniors a place to rest in a shade, and provide people from all works of life the opportunity to garden in the city. Guerrilla gardening has made a positive difference in people's lives throughout the world.
Another strong activist for guerrilla gardening is Richard Reynolds who resides in London. On may 2004, he had a desire to beautify his neighborhood and was not pleased with their actions regarding vacant land space. Richard Reynolds sets up his own blog about guerrilla gardening and over some few years had a lot of followers who are willing to join in the reclamation of land space. Guerrilla gardeners in London has been effective in reclaiming land. In 2000 Guerrilla gardeners in London occupied the parliament square to plant vegetables and flowers. Leaf street was a street in an acre of land in Hulme Manchester England that was once an urban street until turfed over by manchester city council. Local people, facilitated by manchester premaculture group, took direct action in turning the site into a thrieving community garden.
Every morning when i wake up the first thing i do after my prayers is to look outside my backyard to check on my plant. Am so excited about the prospect of owning my own garden.
Guerrilla gardening has created a positive awareness about the environment and how to make use of our vacant land space. Guerrilla gardening should be encouraged because it has prevented crime, diseases, and has created a more beautiful environment for people to live in.
Work Cited
http://www.greenguerrillas.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerilla_gardening.
http://www.guerillagardening.org.
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