GRASAGARÐUR a Volunteers Cultural and Natural Heritage Garden

Transcription

1 GRASAGARÐUR a Volunteers Cultural and Natural Heritage Garden The botanical garden of West fjords came into existence after a talk between a citizen of Bolungarvik interested in gardening and the former director of the Náttuústofa Vestfjarða (Nave) the Natural Research Institute of the West fjords. The idea was good and the grass garden just in the middle of the town besides the communal city building was the perfect location for high exposure. The certainty that the garden will increase the cultural infrastructure of the town brought the council to the decision of investing some money on the project. The planning started in 2013 and the traditional stone way of building was chosen. The advent of EVEHD, with its encouragement to involve volunteers in heritage discovery was important because it encouraged the increased focus on the heritage of the natural plants in the garden especially their culinary and medicinal uses. Rocks were donated by a local volunteer (left) and collected from a specific place by several employees of NAVE and volunteers. Local people looking for work experience and wanting to boost their CV s were also involved. It took most of the short Icelandic summer of 2014 to construct 3 fairly big raised beds with a proper hydraulic system and a soil bed. To accommodate plants growing in wetlands and shallow pools two holes were dug on the lower part of the garden just beside the main road that crosses the village. The making of the wet area involved sand filling and the laying of a impermeable plastic to keep the water from escaping. NAVE and volunteers also drew on their experience in restoring local holy wells to channel and direct ground water. The decision was made to have in the garden only species growing in the Westfjords; the area in the north west of Iceland well distinguished by the narrow neck that cuts it off from the main

2 landmass. It has a surface of circa 20 thousand square km and almost one third of the coastline of Iceland. The arctic climate has a very big impact on the type and number of the plant species that grow in this area. Because the garden lays on a gentle slope it was natural to place mountain plants on the higher ground and the beach growing plants on the lowest part, with the correct zonal distribution in between. Employees of the NAVE plus volunteers started to collect plants during the research trips that were done that summer and the next. Plants were identified by a stainless steel support with an encapsulated ticket showing the name of the plant in Icelandic, Latin, English and German and carrying the EVEHD logo. The genus of the plant and its historical uses were given in Icelandic and English. Even in the short time since its opening, the garden has become a common attraction for tourists and a moment of fun for elderly people from the nearby old folks home some have become volunteers and added to the folkloric description of the plants. The garden has several school visits(below) and plant days made around it. In the year 2013 while EVEHD was taking root in the town promoted by NAVE, the general public started to be interested again in plans properties and their possible uses. Humans had always used wild plants not only for food but in medicine, as spices, in magical rituals and some of them were believed to have special powers a part of the local superstition. In the beginning of the 20 th century the development of supermarkets and the pharmaceutical industry and the availability of industrially made

3 medicines brought about a loss of the knowledge regarding the use of plants and very quickly the properties of plants were forgotten by most of the people. No-one planted anymore their own oregano to spice their pizzas or collect the lady s mantle for their stomach problems. Superstition stories were transmitted through generations during the slow evenings around the fire in the long Icelandic winter but now we have the TV to entertain us and nothing is slow! The garden assumes its finished shape. The idea of re-discover and pass on to young generations the plant knowledge was the spark for the new display in Grasagardur. Even though Iceland has a sub-arctic climate several wild plants were used during the past for different purposes. NAVE started, through EVEHD to develop exhibits and an icelandic organization Pokasjodur gave the necessary matched funding. NAVE started then to collect information by using mainly the book of Anna Rósa Róbertsdóttir, an Icelandic plant-doctor, the knowledge collected by Galðrasafn (The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft) in Hólmavík and many others, including local old people who volunteered their knowledge. EVEHD volunteers at the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft

4 This is what NAVE and volunteers discovered; Skarfakál ( Cochlearia officinalis ; above top left) and Hundasúra (Rumex acetosella; above top right) were used by Icelanders to give vitamin C before global market brought oranges and mandarins to the their tables. Bloðberg (Thymus praecox; above bottom left) was widely used to spice meat and liquor but as a tisane was used for helping against cold and other respiratory problems. Fjandafæla (Omalotheca norvegica; above bottom right) had the power to scare away ghosts and by sleeping over Freyjugras (Thalictrum aquilegifolium ) you could find your stolen things. But probably the most important of all was the Hvönn (Angelica arcangelica), it was used as medicine, as food, as spice and even as currency. The plant got its name after a French monk received a visit from an angel who told him to use the plant as cure for a plague active around the XVI century. In Iceland, from the 9th century, the plants value as an exported product was so great that special laws were made to avoid stealing it. The plant was grown for generations close to every house and used to kill viruses, as a cure for respiratory problems, a slimming aid and for liver problems. Now SagaMedica has a all range of medicines to prevent prostate problems. When NAVE joined the EVEHD European project enough information was collected and the timing was good for the new display. Discussions with volunteers decided the team to use symbols to explain what the plant was used for and which part of the plant needed to be use to get the desired results ( leaves, seeds, roots, flowers or all of the plant). It was also decided to have a exhaustive text in order to give the

5 reader more detailed information regarding the use in Icelandic and English. The information that needed to be contained in the these new tickets were thus much more than the basic name of plants so the project became a cultural heritage, as well as natural heritage one (plant marker: left) The cultural heritage garden show was officially open the 15 July 2014 and many people were present that day. Volunteers during the EVEHD action in Iceland were involved in cleaning the garden beds and setting down the EVEHD markers that were removed for the winter period. NAVE thanks all the people that took part in the creation of the garden s cultural heritage display and all the volunteers that helped during all these last years in the garden. The garden now wetlands mimic holy wells and the old folks home behind gives a source of knowledge and volunteers

6 The importance for EVEHD GRASAGARÐUR shows how volunteers especially local older people, can pass on their folkloric knowledge and have it valued. NAVE and the EVEHD partners were able to combine their knowledge and behave in a very sustainable and cost effective way through. Encouraging local people to offer materials (stone), give their knowledge, work to create the garden and help with plant collecting. Tapping into an awakening of interest into more natural medicines and Icelandic folklore. Using their hydrology knowledge from restoring holy wells to create the lower wetland areas of the garden. Creating a cultural and natural heritage resource to encourage school children (through visits) to gain knowledge plus the spirit and idea of becoming a volunteer. Bring in foreign volunteers to the garden to raise local awareness and encourage more locals to help in the community by researching and disseminating heritage knowledge. EVEHD international volunteers join locals on show also Icelandic folk costume as well as heritage plant information. Bottom right well restoration skills put to good use