UPDATE (19/09/2013): This course is now full. If you would like to be on the waiting list then please let me know – Lynn.

Sign up for the next free River of Herbs course!
Newcomers are welcome and also those who attended the previous course.

This course will cover all the material that we worked on in 2013 but will be based at set locations along the River of Herbs Amsterdam edible/wildlife corridor. Participants will help to create the corridor whilst learning green skills.

River of Herbs Amsterdam Wildlife Corridor
We are currently planning an ambitious River of Herbs corridor, running from the A10/Middenweg intersection up to De Hortus Botanicus then onward through Amsterdam Centrum and finally out to De Baarsjes in Amsterdam West. The River of Herbs corridor will be made up of tree pits, geveltuinen (pavement gardens) and small unused spaces, all planted by volunteers with edible/medicinal herbs which are useful to pollinating insects and people. The Amsterdam River of Herbs will also include the transformation of a public orchard in Park Frankendael into a community Food Forest. The River of Herbs edible/wildlife corridor is being created by the collaboration of Urban Herbology (based in Amsterdam Oost), FoAM and City Plot Amsterdam (both based in Amsterdam West). Groups of local people are being helped to plan, plant and maintain small urban herb meadows, for the benefit of people and pollinators.

Who is this course for?
Anyone who wants to learn how to grow herbs safely in disused urban spaces & how to help pollinating insects.

Dates 2014:
Four Monday afternoons 13.30 – 15.30
February 10th
March 10th
May 12th
June (day tbc)

You will learn how to:

1. Identify and prepare unused spaces for growing useful perennial, biennial and annual herbs.
2. Sow suitable seeds and plant cuttings, roots etc. in these places. Choosing for location, wildlife, food or medicine.
3. Tend the developing Urban Herb Meadows.
4. Map the locations of these Herb Meadows.
5. Harvest some of the herbs without compromising their usefulness to pollinators such as bees, hoverflies and butterflies.
6. Teach others how to grow and use these herbs.
7. Create and manage an urban River of Herbs.

The first group of River of Herbs volunteers completed the 2013 training course. Those who showed that they can plan, plant and maintain an urban herb meadow are now able to train other groups of volunteers, using the River of Herbs materials. You can see some of the sites that the first group worked on, using our map.

You will receive:
Four 2 hour sessions of hands-on urban green training.
Course book  – an updated and condensed version of the 2013 River of Herbs booklets.
Ongoing support – we have an active Facebook group and can be contacted by email or telephone.
Green skills experience and work reference – for those who complete the course and can show their skills.
The 2014 course is being run by Lynn Shore from UrbanHerbology.org.
Plants and tools are provided – you are welcome to bring along more if you like.

Cost:
Free to participants (value 250 Euro per person)
All costs will be completely covered by Groen en Doen vouchers. River of Herbs will organise this for applicants. If you want to join this course you must simply contact us and we will organise the funding. The funds generated by the vouchers will be used for the River of Herbs corridor project. Groen en Doen vouchers are offered to enable green skills training for volunteers.

Number of places:
12.
Please apply if you are seriously interested in helping us plan, plant and maintain the River of Herbs Amsterdam wildlife corridor. This is a very exciting and worthwhile project which needs a whole community effort to make it work. Be part of it!

Apply:
Please contact us directly –  riverofherbs@gmail.com

UPDATE (19/09/2013): This course is now full. If you would like to be on the waiting list then please let me know – Lynn.