Volunteer to Plant Fruit Tree Guilds to Grow Food Security

All ages are invited to volunteer to plant fruit tree guilds at the Naperville Community Gardens on Thursday, April 26th (3:30 - 5:30pm), and at the City of Naperville Municipal Center on Saturday, April 28th (10:00-12:00pm). Bring a hand trowel and shovel and prepare to dig in.

By donating a permaculture fruit tree guild to the Naperville Park District and the City of Naperville during Earth Week and Arbor Day, The Resiliency Institute hopes to educate and inspire individuals, public institutions, and private businesses to begin growing food security on their own landscapes. Food security, as defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, is the condition in which all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. With one in eight families in Northern Illinois facing hunger, and an unsustainable food system, our communities are not food secure.

Fruit tree guilds, the building blocks of food forests, are small (15’x15’) permaculture gardens designed to mimic the layers of a native woodland and fit into any size landscape. These ecological gardens are perfect for the suburban landscape, providing a variety of seasonal food and medicine for people; diverse food, shelter and habitat for wildlife and pollinators; and nutrition for soil and plants. Plants are selected and placed with intention for desirable yields, seasonal diversity, and for their ecological functions.

The Resiliency Institute is proud to be partnering with the Naperville Park District and the City of Naperville on these projects that demonstrate Naperville’s commitment to growing food security. Naperville is also home to two edible forest gardens designed and installed by The Resiliency Institute, the Whole Foods Market Edible Forest Garden on The Conservation Foundation’s McDonald Farm, and Ferry Forest Garden on DuPage County right-of-way land along the Illinois Prairie Path on Ferry and Rigi Road in North Naperville.

The Resiliency Institute, a Naperville based nonprofit organization, is empowering individuals to live, grow and build resilient lives, landscapes, and communities through permaculture education, resiliency consulting, and the establishment of growing food security gardens. www.theresiliencyinstitute.net