Here are some of the things we do as part of the Growing Spaces project. If you are curious about any or all of the roles, don’t hesitate to ask!
Web designer
Requires: A sense of ascetics and usability; very low-level html skills or an interest in learning
Task: Make this page pretty and easy to read!
Work with other members of the group to sort and colour code tasks, to
– put the profile we are in high need at the top of the page
– make subgroups by kind of roles/ skills with a link from the top of the page to these subgroups: indoor/outdoor; time: low, medium, high; skills: gardening, office/computer, people; commitment: low, medium, high.
Space carers:
Improve your neighbourhood by caring for a patch of ground. Depending on your time and interests, do a bit of weeding among perennial herbs, or invite people in to help you build your amazing edible landscapes (runner bean sculptures anyone?). No prior knowledge required!
Here’s a list of spaces that could do with extra carers: [Currently all of them: see map http://www.cambridge.growingspaces.org/map-of-cambridge-growing-spaces/]
What you get out of it: Feel the power of being the change in your neighbourhood; a reason to go outside
Time: Two hours per month (to however much time you feel like investing if you have great plans)
Task: Weed and water a spaces or spaces near your home or work; get as little or as much involved in design and planting of the spaces or spaces as you want; speak with a space minder occasionally unless you want to be one too
Requires: A desire to improve your urban environment
Space minders:
Time: A few minutes of looking; the time it takes to set a time and email (or to phone or speak an admin group member to do so)
Task: Check on a space occasionally in passing to see if it needs care; send out an email the planning group to let them know how it’s doing and to the list (and or Facebook) to get people in to care for it
Requires: Very little time but willingness to check on the space at least once a week; responsibility for letting the planning group know if you want to pass the task to someone else
Gardening teachers:
Pass on your skills, knowledge, and experience, be they small or vast.
Come to a planting spontaneously, or share your knowledge at set times of your choice at our teaching garden, or simply write a short post for our blog.
What you get out of it: The satisfaction of sharing your skills and perhaps learning from others in return; being part of a great gardening community
Time: Depending on your interest – an hour or two a few times a year, or a few times a month at set times
Task: Share your skills, knowledge, and experience
Requires: Some gardening knowledge (no “expert” level knowledge required!); friendliness
Nature and events photographers:
Hone your photography on urban nature. Drop by any of our spaces or planting events, or chose a space to document through the seasons, or some up with a project of your own!
What you get out of it: Share your pictures on our blog (and competitions that we know of if you want) and our project with the world, be part of a community of enthusiastic community-minded people.
Time: As long as it takes you to take a picture and send it to us or upload
Task: Taking photographs of one or many of our spaces
Requires: Your own camera
Greeters:
The Growing Spaces projects needs greeters in order to grow! If you’d like to be a core part of making amazing projects happen and connecting us as a community, with little time investment at that – here’s a role for you.
What you get out of it: Be the seed of making great projects happen; be part of an enthusiastic community; apply and hone your communications skills
Time: A few emails per month
Task: Respond to contacts from newly interested people, send them an email about Growing Spaces, engage them regarding their interests and connect them with suited project(s)
Requires: Strong written communication skills; enthusiasm for community gardening; prompt -within a couple of days- email response time
Full training and information provided
Space chasers:
Time: A few emails per month; a site visit each month or two, depending on interest
Task: Follow up ownership and useability of interesting spaces with city and county council contacts, business managers, or neighbours. This task will be divided up between several people, depending on the amount of spaces to be investigated.
Requires: Strong verbal and written communication skills
Full training and information provided
Garden designers:
Time: One-off time for designing a space
Task: Determine what needs to be done for a space in terms of soil prep, structures that need to be made, water, plants and when to plant them, how to look after them. Optimally we’d make a written plan for a space that can be passed on to future carers and also shared with the local community before the space gets transformed.
Requires: A desire to think about what a space needs and what might grow well there. Either willingness to research, or experience.
Garden experts:
What you get out of it: An opportunity to pass on your knowledge
Task: Be up for being asked for advice from time to time.
Requires: Some expertise in gardening
Then a bank of garden experts that don’t mind being asked for advice from time to time. Can cycle past and e-mail what they think…
Plantmasters:
Task: Keep track of the plants that have been offered to us and who is keeping them. Be a contact for people and businesses offering plants.
Tree enthusiasts:
What you get out of it: Meeting others interested in trees and learning from them – pruning, planting, locations… If you want: Seeing trees grow in places you helped find.
Task: Help coordinate offers of fruit and nut trees with spaces that could do with those. If you want you can also be contact point for interaction with the community orchards and arboreal officers.
Requires: Interest. At a minimum: Willingness to do a few phone calls and/or emails a year.
Plant donors:
Task: Offer surplus plants to the project.
Requires: Plants to donate. An email or phone call. The ability to drop them off is welcome.
Project coordinators:
Approach us if you have an idea for a public food growing project you’d like to organise!
Front garden blitz coordinators:
Local food and gardening communicators:
Be part of a team local food and gardening enthusiasts
Sign designers:
What you get out of it: See your designs around town; be part of a great group of gardening enthusiasts.
Requires: Layouting skills, a computer, and thoughts on how to communicate with neighbours.
Project coordinators:
Approach us if you have an idea for a public food growing project you’d like to organise!