Urban Forest Lab Project, by Casey Tang
Located just beyond the park’s North entrance, Casey Tang’s forest garden is a low-maintenance, sustainable agriculture system based off of woodland ecosystems. Forest gardens are typically made up of plant polycultures—plants that occupy an ecological niche in the system. The plants help close the nutrient cycle and attract beneficial insects.
Forest gardens appear in many forms throughout the world from Chagga, Tanzania, to the gardens of the Dai People in China, to the Milpa gardens throughout Mesoamerica, to Satoyama in Japan.
Phase one of this project includes rehabilitating the land by adding soil amendments, organic material and compost, and planting a succession of cover crops.
Phase two of the project will include implementation of a low maintenance, edible landscape mimicking forest ecosystems, using an attractive semi-natural garden aesthetic. The garden will serve as an example of alternative forms of agriculture and food sources, as well as a repository of hard to find edible perennials.
To read more about Casey Tang and his project, you can find his profile here.