Let's get to it!
Most of the property that I bought last fall consists of an old almond orchard. Unfortunately, this has been neglected in recent years or even decades and the trees are in a miserable condition. The hot summer didn't help. Many of the trees that looked pretty ok, when I first visited the property are now dead or, at best, still have a few green leaves on their bare, lichen-covered branches.
Now what can still be saved is to be saved. So in these weeks we are cutting back the few of the originally more than 60 almond and aproximately 30 carob trees that still show a hint of a will to survive. This takes a little longer than expected, because most of the trees are so densely covered with bushes, vines and young trees, that we first have to cut our way to the trunk.
In a next step, we will plant a new tree or bush between two almond trees (whether dead or alive) until a diverse forest garden emerges from the old plantation.
So there is still a lot to do before it gets hot and dry again on the island!
The Granny Program
The existing almond and carob trees need as much care and love as the new trees, that will be added soon. That's why I created the Granny Tree Sponsors. Thanks to the contributions of their sponsors, we can give the old tree ladies the care they deserve: a nice haircut, watering in the summer and a good helping of compost!
Some of the trees have already found a sponsor, thank you all! All trees marked green are still waiting for your support!
Waiting for its Sponsor: Tree no. 8 was completely hidden behind bushes. What a surprise to find out it has four trunks!
As always, you can also follow our progress on YouTube and watch how your tree godchild might be getting his hair done.
Big plans for the future
For the year 2023 we have a full program with the goal to make the property habitable and opening it up for future workshop participants. These are our most important to-do's this year:
Set up base camp. Pruning almond and carob trees. Prepare plot for the new trees. have compost delivered. order tool. (Donations are very welcome right now!) Submit a building permit. cancel hunting area. Delivery of the large water tank (20,000 liters!) Plant the first sponsored trees. Set up irrigation. Crowdfunding (this is where your help is needed!) With the income from crowdfunding: Build compost toilet, outdoor kitchen and shower (incl. gray water garden). Build entrance gate, restore stone wall. Chop wood for mulch. Order a solar system Order tents. Inauguration of the workshop space. Implementation of first workshops. First carob and almond harvest. Second planting Baumpaten Second pruning of the Grannies.
Also in February and March I expect more hands-on support from friends and family. I am touched and immensely grateful to have such a great and motivating network around me! Greetings from us until next time, Scarlet
Thank you to everyone who keeps this project going! Tizian Aellig, Sybille Allenspach, Tobias Hoffmann, Essi & Käthi Fischer, Maria Sciavarrello, Nora Roth, Johan Lee, Brian Lee, Marco & Manuela Scotoni, Oma Johanna Schneider, Carmen Hocker, Myriam Marti & Milena Kuster, Fulgencio Vera Davila, Sybil Vegetti & Claudio Strasser, Beda Klein, Noah Balke, Daniel Allenspach, Lisa Kampbell & Batiekoro Keita, Pete Bürgy, Antoine Fäh, Noemi Lötscher & Ivan Giangreco, Madeleine Aellig, Hildegard Ast, Güler & Ondrej Krejci, Jan Eric Schwarzer, Pierre-Gabriel Bucher, Annette Ott, Daniel & Daniela Dunkel, Jonas Dennler, Florin Stohler, Christian Hoffmann, Romain Bayere, Benjamin Rapp, Susanne Würmli-Kollhopp, Preben & Elisabeth Munch, Sandro Camponovo, Ursula Cattaneo, Michael Lampert, August Lampert, Monique Zimmermann, Marianne Herold, Mirjam Poljak, François Viscontini, Brigitte Ringger Viscontini, Andreas & Aaron Graf, Michael Hunn, Nicole Doebele, Ueli Aellig, Lukas Schaub, Thomas Geser, Fabian Plattner, Silja Meyer, Nando Schmidlin, Kostas Maros, Nicole de Lorenzi, Simon Murbach, Veronika Noelle, Lilien Caprez-Girsberger, Marc Stalder, Andrea und Georges Studer, Marie Louise Dal Santo, Monika Salzgeber, Patrick Tobler & Anna Staubli, Brigitte Maurer, Regula Hess, Valerie Sieber, René Uhlmann, Karin Caprez, Marlise Bader-Müller, Simon Zitz, Susanne Blaser, Sebastian Quetglas, Sarah Smith, Michael Hochreutener, Rebecca Porter, Nicole Strnad, Carmen Cescon Heule, Milan Rohrer, Kira, Aksel Barrios.