unexpected green

The urban forest place next to the EFUF2023 conference venue: a green meadow full of dandelions, framed by mature trees, and a picknicktable in the middle. Participants work on their stories in different positions at the table and in the grass. — © EFUF 2023 | Grube Oko

This part of the urban forest of Kraków feels

like a small forest in the heart of the town,

extremely green and disconnected at the same time

like a remnant of a greater green space

- it feels like memories!!!

Two participants discussing their story in front of a building, the canopy of a tree just visible — © EFUF 2023 | Grube Oko

there is so much in this urban forest place

that is unappreciated

many colours and shades

green colour

there are so many clover trefoils

Workshop host Lotte shares workshop materials with one of the participants, while standing in a meadow surrounded by trees and buildings. — © EFUF 2023 | Grube Oko

we miss the smell of fresh soil

and the voice of birds is crowded

with noise by traffic and loud people

and there are no kids here

the melody of water flowing is missing

and more species would be nice

but how to choose which?

we could change or add to this urban forest

enhancing this semi-wild space full of imaginative potential

so that it is humanised for joy + beauty!!

remove cars, and introduce more bikes

we could change or add to this urban forest

some hour limits for loud music

then probably the area would be more used by different people

or people with different interests

we should reduce noise from streets here

because we want to hear the birds

and now this is quite a chaotic space.

Authors

A collaborative place-based story from Kraków, Poland, crafted in place during the European Forum on Urban Forestry 2023 next to Centrum Kongresowe Uniwersytetu Rolniczego, on Thursday 25 May 2023, between 14:00 and 15:00 CEST, by Magdalena Biernicka, Pineau Capucina, Barbara Darr, Lotte Dijkstra, Anastazija Dimitrova, Vasilis Douridas, Aidan Ffrench, Anja Keller, Jakub Kronenberg, Hailiang Lyu, John Parker, Zoe Petridis, Agata Pietrzyk-Kaszynska, Renate Späth, Priscila Stark, Eirini Tsakiri, Aleksandra Zienkiewicz and the more-than-human beings and vibrant matterings present.

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THIS URBAN FOREST FEELS...

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THERE IS SO MUCH HERE

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NOT EVERYONE IS HERE

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WE COULD CHANGE OR ADD TO THIS URBAN FOREST...

| THIS URBAN FOREST FEELS... | THERE IS SO MUCH HERE | NOT EVERYONE IS HERE | WE COULD CHANGE OR ADD TO THIS URBAN FOREST...

We are explorers of the urban forest of Kraków in Poland. With our bodies, we notice who and what is there, and who and what is not. Through prompts, writing, drawing, making, and sharing, we record our responses, telling the stories of this particular urban forest place. Read some of our urban forest stories here, or download the storybook.