Balkan Ecology Project

We start the process with an orientation phase for you to be familiar with our project, the study method and your surroundings after which activities in the garden will begin.

The weekly structure is a Monday morning meeting to discuss the coming week. Each week we will select a topic to look into and present to the group for discussion on Wednesday these topics are often relevant to current or upcoming activities.

There will be a variety of activities throughout the process. Below you can find a month by month breakdown of the type of things you can expect to be doing. Activities are largely determined by what needs doing at any particular time, we work to mother nature's clock, but generally we start at 09.00 and spend around 3 - 4 hrs a day in the gardens. Weekends are left unscheduled.

There will be plenty of free time and opportunity to explore the region. We encourage participants to develop their own areas of personal study and interest. It's a dynamic process and discussion and feedback play an essential role. Ultimately, our aim is to make a great study, a productive garden - and enjoy the whole learning process along the way!

MONTH

ACTIVITIES

April

Indoor seedling care
Sowing seeds of beans and squash
Designing Polycultures for experimental beds
Forming irrigation channels
Compost and Mulch applications to Fruit Trees
Planting out perennial beds
Mulching orchard trees
Entomological Survey
Tree pruning

May

Irrigating young plants if dry
Planting out crops
Tying tomatoes, pinching out
Chop and drop weeding
Mowing paths
Building wildlife pond
Aquatic plant propagation
Maintaining beneficial habitat
Harvesting wild greens
Cherry Harvest
Coppicing woodland

June

Harvesting

Irrigating young plants if dry
Tying tomatoes, pinching out
Chop and Drop Weeding
Cherry Harvest
Hay Harvest
Wild Herb Harvest
Preparing Produce for Market
Blackcurrant Harvest
Botany surveys
Land surveying

July

Harvesting
Irrigating
Mowing Paths
Chop and Drop Weeding
Botany Surveys
Plum Harvest and processing
Seed Saving
Entomological Survey

August

Harvesting
Irrigating
Biodiversity Surveys
Soil Analysis
Tomato processing (sun dried and tinned)
Comfrey Cutting and Mulching

September

Harvesting
Irrigating
Grape Harvest
Hay Harvest
Preparing write up
Preparing Compost
Mowing paths
Land surveying

TOPICS OF STUDY

The practical work we carry out during the study will be reinforced with the theoretical content necessary to understand what you are doing. Each week we will identify an area of study for you to research and each Wednesday bring your findings to the group to share and discuss with other volunteers.. The topics we will cover may include the following.

Site analysis
Design
Soil preparation
Soil Ecology
Plant nutrition
Plant Water Relations
Pollination
Aquaculture

Guild Planting
Beneficial Habitat Design and Management
Forest Gardening
Wild Harvesting
Marketing and Advertising
Record Keeping
Water Harvesting
and more...

Team Members from 2015 & 2016