What I'm up to and request

Dear TTers

I'd like to give an update on what one of the ning lurkers is up to and seek advice and support from the TT community.

I'm a masters student in environmental studies at Victoria. I am currently putting together a research proposal for a thesis next year. The main objective is to create a resource for community-led urban horticulture projects. The draft title is "Species selection and strategy for urban horticulture in Wellington" and it comes in four parts.

In the first part I assess the prevalent growing conditions in Wellington and select a broad range of edible temperate plants: fruit, nut, trees and common vegetables that match these conditions.

In the second part I evaluate these plants across a range of criteria. Criteria may include:

Nutrient productivity per unit of cultivated area (calories, protein, vitamins minerals etc.)
Economic value per unit of cultivated area
As above but weighted by typical grocery bill spend
Ethnobotanical uses (medicinal value etc.)
Hardiness/low input
Availabilty (atypical plants may be excluded)
Ecological integration (companion planting value)
Multiuse (carbon production for compost, firewood etc)

The third part is interviews with experienced local growers asking much the same questions as above but in a away-from-the-computer-gettin'-your-hands-dirty-kinda way (this part could be filmed)

A number of high value species should emerge from the analysis and interviews. In the third part the environmental preferences of these species is integrated with Wellington Geographical Information Systems (GIS -basically data rich maps) . Sunlight inception, soil, microclimate conditions etc. Finally, and critically, I lay contour maps over Wellington that detail the optimal locations for the growing of these high-value species, whether in backyards or greenspaces.

If you are familiar with Permaculture, essentially this is a macro-scale site assessment.

Reasons I like this research:
I believe many people would like to start a garden but lack the confidence to get started. Location-specific species reccomendations may give them that confidence.
Cross-scale -An individual, community group, or the council can use the results right away.
Political -Producing a map and thesis detailing the optimum growing locations of high value plants helps legitimize and embolden the voices calling for greenspace conversion to community gardens and orchards.
It could be replicated in other areas quite easily

Unfortunately, while I have a good measure of support within the school for this kind of research. Some parties are not yet be convinced of its 'academic' value. The environmental studies department is supportive of urban gardening. However, some are not accustomed to research that tries to affect change through grass-roots channels. Perhaps believing instead that major change happens primarily through the production of high-level policy documents (cough, cough). I believe that in responding to Peak Oil, the grassroots is sprinting ahead of local and central government. Urban gardening consistently comes up in this context as a practical, empowering response with multiple benefits. Plant a tree where it is likely to be well-watered, not in the policy desert where it may wither and die.

If you believe that this research has value, a short personal letter from you (if you have an official capacity with a flash letterhead that's even better) may convince my academic superiors of the value of this approach. This could make the difference to this project going ahead or not.

Input and feedback are welcome

Cheers,

Simon Tegg
Victoria University of Wellington
Fax: 04 463 5186

Postal Address:
22 Aro St
Aro Valley
Wellington 6021