Learnings from 2023, directions for 2024
Reflections on what worked and what didn’t in 2023, what we’ve learned, what has changed, and preparation for the year ahead. This is going to be a big year. Will you join me?
To begin, I want to thank all free and paid subscribers, and everyone who played a role in projects and events in 2023. Your input and feedback have been invaluable.
I'm looking forward to seeing how much we can do together in 2024.
Reflections from 2023
This was a year of immense progress and challenges.
The Banyo Pilot Project tested whether collaborations can use verge gardening as a shared activity to create a positive social, economic, and environmental impact. (Yes, they can!)
Lots of things went wrong, but the lessons showed how to make the model stronger.
Lots of things went right too, and lasting personal and professional relationships were formed.
The Strategic Doing method gave us the flexibility to adapt and overcome setbacks that would have taken down a traditional project. Just as important, we could take advantage of emerging opportunities.
Group Projects
The ACF Community Brisbane Northside group continued its group project where members plant out their verges. This group also played a crucial role in the success of the Banyo Project.
Judy Clarke is starting a new group in Bairnsdale, Victoria. The East Gippsland Shire Council is developing a verge garden policy. If you have any ties to that region, please consider connecting with the group here. They have their first gathering in person on Sunday, 18th February.
With our growing network of groups, we all benefit from the support, knowledge, and experience shared among us. It will be out of these groups that bigger collaboration projects emerge.
Moving to Substack
Moving the newsletter and the community section of the Shady Lanes website to Substack in October has reduced the technical load.
This year, I’ll be working out how we will use more of the features to increase the impact of the network of groups.
Did you know you can read this as an email, as part of the website on your computer, or in the app on your phone?
Three Big Lessons from 2023
1. Keep the message clear - this is not just a planting project
We are still struggling to get the message through that verge gardening has unique challenges and opportunities.
Verges are part of our local commons and a microcosm of the national and global commons.
They share the same challenges: competing agendas, organisational and disciplinary silos, linear thinking, hierarchies, parochialism, vested interests, cultural norms, and resistance to change.
Many councils still resist having a verge garden policy because of these challenges. Even in councils that do have a policy, not all councillors and council staff support or promote them.
Perhaps my background in communication and technology is why I saw verge gardens as the ideal place and activity for a change-making project to foster the networks and the collaboration skills needed to tackle the complex, systemic problems we face.
The experience and conversations on my verge were the inspiration for the Shady Lanes Project.
2. Invest the time up front to build your group
Go slow at the beginning. Find your shared purpose. Allow time to build up relationships, trust, and communication skills. Small steps and incremental and meaningful small wins reduces risk and keep you moving in your desired direction.
Everyone learns the basics of gardening in this space with a simple council/resident/nature collaboration on their individual verge garden.
Some individuals may be interested in learning how to organize a group project, embracing the added challenges and opportunities for impact.
A few participants will build upon their group project experiences to form collaborations, expanding their knowledge and network.
It would have saved us much time and angst with the pilot project if we’d insisted on all core participants building prior knowledge and relationships before embarking on a collaboration.
3. Do the Doable and Look for Maximum Impact for Resources
The world is full of experts and advocates and protestors talking about what we need to do. They might know where they want to go, but they do not know how to get there.
Break it down into small steps, things you can do with your current resources that take you closer to your destination. A verge garden is doable and has considerable impact with limited resources.
Groups often get sidetracked by doing things that appeal to the desires of their more persuasive members. This uses everyone’s time and energy with little to show for it. Every decision needs to stand up to scrutiny. Is it doable? How far does it take us towards our purpose? Does the impact justify the cost of time and resources?
Changes for 2024
The directory on the Shady Lanes website now reflects the core purpose of the project - verge garden listings, groups, and council policies.
(Other planting projects and related listings are gone, but you can list your organisation and events in the BCL.com.au online directory and event pages instead.)
The Understanding the Space articles and newsletters will remain free.
The Group Project section, the most extensive activity here, is available to paid subscribers only. We welcome change-makers who want to bring people together to work on ways to address the issues that concern them.
This is our private space where we have focussed conversations about how to start and manage your group projects. We use articles, zooms, Q&A, and discussion threads.
Our topic this week is on organising and promoting your group events.
What about you? What are your plans for 2024?
2024 - the year of great happenings for the East Gippsland Verge Garden group.
The group was started in November, just on time for a big of publicity and connection building before Christmas.
January saw the launch of the publicity for the fist EGVG meet and greet - a very informal gathering to stimulate personal connections and talk about the idea of verge gardens and how/where individuals can start. The meeting is in February and has already generated a lot of interest, new members and personal contact from two interested persons. I hope to continue these informal meetings through the year.
For those people who want to be more active in a bigger arena, we can discuss connecting with local groups and especially the local Council.
After that, who knows as the group will decide directions and actions. I feel it is very important to maintain space in the group for individual gardeners who do not want to participate in other actions.
Personally I am looking forward to learning more about group leadership and motivation.
cheers - Judy