301 days ago
Linzi Lewis’ guerrilla gardening.

via IOL.

Linzi Lewis goes by the name of Liliana Transplanter, which is her “guerrilla gardener” persona. She’s a bright, young South African inspiration who is into “urban greening” and making gardens in schools around the country. She speaks to Justin Nurse in this week’s instalment of The Pied Piper Project.

Background

I’m from Joburg, and I grew up in the northern suburbs. I travelled around southern Africa after school and upon my return I moved into Troyeville, where I lived for many years in the midst of this beautifully diverse, city community. I studied geography and ecology at Wits, and did my Honours in energy alternatives for low-income housing in township communities in Joburg.

I learnt then about the social, cultural and architectural contexts within which we need to engage in a dialogue about energy issues, rather than just coming in as an outside researcher and prescribing a solution to the problem. I’m still working on understanding that.

I then got a scholarship to do my Master’s at two universities in Denmark and France (a linked programme, funded by the EU) in sustainable tropical forestry.

After two years I returned and did my research here, looking at school garden projects run by NGOs, focusing specifically on the cultural and ecological heritage that was being lost in urban areas – things like medicinal plants and indigenous food crops.

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