Foster the city – The forgotten garden

It is seven o clock in the forgotten garden. The light of the clear summer evening is over the whole place making it even more beautiful. The bonfire is about to start and the workcampers are preparing the last things. It will be the perfect end for two days of hard but pleasant work and everything must be ready. It is their second day in Plzeň and the first time they can get in touch with the locals. Around 50 people from the city have come, willing to share the fire with people from over the whole world. Some of them are old enough to remember the time when the garden wasn’t still abandoned, others are probably here for their first time. Some satellite photos hanged on a tent show people how has been the evolution of it. Vaclav, one of the leaders of Envic, is now in front of them, telling the history of the garden, which had been specially neglected over the last 20 years. He gave the locals a little tour around the new-old space, showing all the clearing, grubbing and cleaning the volunteers had done during the last two days. Of course, there is still more work to do here but the workcampers have already taken the first step. They, who live far away from the forgotten garden, have shown that interesting places can be closer than you may think. In your own city, may be in your own neighbourhood or even next to the house where you are living now. But they are nothing if you don’t take care of it. Regarding the forgotten garden (hopefully not any more forgotten), there is nothing more simbolyc than a bonfire. The weeds disappear leaving room for new life. Sausages, cheese and vegetables are shared around it together with conversations about South Korea, Serbia or Plzeň. Guitars and djembes appear also with the night. From Russians songs to African rhythms, everything fits tonight and involve people in a unique atmosphere which neither locals nor workcampers will forget. Carlos

Categories: english