Hello Paul. They are great documents. Thank you.
My concern is that the organisational rate is quite high. Our organisation is actually very small (with big ideas). We are still a non-incorporated association and Liane and I are still personally funding it as we have no core funding. Could there be a tiered organisational rate to reflect that sometimes people have created organisations that are in practical terms, Very expensive hobbies, before they become self sustaining?!

.... that said, we could ask Adur and Worthing Councils to pay for the NFGS membership fee as they have some money available.

Hello Keith. By actually forest gardening, as well as discussing matters relating to the NFGS we are contributing, especially if we are helping to maintain a publicly assessible Forest Garden! My understanding is that all kinds of members are invited to make (a) donation(s) and that covering our costs rather than asking for expenses is also a donation. If our organisation(s) pay our costs/donation(s) we are accountable there too. I don't expect our Council to do more than let us use the land and recognise/respect our initiative. I try to represent our forest gardening group (two of whom have attended a NFGS meeting) and feel accountable to them via its activities and the wider Friends of the Park group and we spend funds we raise there and not in the NFGS or our other networks. Does this mean I am an individual (perhaps a group member) but not an organisational member?

Hello folks,
We have been working on another 3 documents and with input from Jane, Tomas, Paul and myself I want to share 3 documents, each 1 page long and with visuals – so easy reading!;
• A document called NFGS - seeing Forest Gardens place within a wider Institutional ecosystem. This tries to envisage the sorts of places/spaces and associated organisations we might wish to prioritise working with at a national level.
• A document called Identifying potential NFGS regions based upon a bioregion framework. We have not talked much about how NFGS might develop into a regional organisation in the future but this sets out some possible ideas, in the hope this might support more localised identify that helps with connections in your area.
• Finally a document called NFGS - seeing Forest Gardens place within a wider Agroecological approach which is a think piece to help us understand FGs place within a wider system.

We hope these might stimulate further debate and thinking so please do share your ideas.
Best wishes
Richard

I've posted in the introduction to this thread our Forest Garden Principles. They've been extensively worked by Tomas, Jane, Philippe, and some editing from me. The shadow board has agreed they're now in a fit state to share with all of us for comment.
For ease, the link is also here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O1V_BVkBJihOHt7RO14ybuAoEVjT-0v-ccrclXfcOy4/edit?usp=sharing

Hi Paul. What a great document. It is a very good guide.
I wonder if we could include the urgency to involve community in forest gardens? I thought about it when I reached the Biodiversity section. Our project only works because of the "biodiversity" of the people. We are suffering catastrophic environmental and social collapse and the solution is working together - accepting and supporting all. I learn every day from our volunteers and our projects are only possible because of each of us, in our myriad ways!

Great idea, thanks Keith. I'm sure that can fit. Let me have a go.

Hannah made a great suggestion we turn these principles into an infographic. Would anyone be inspired to take this on?

I am happy to make the donation as an individual but I appreciate the point that if colleagues are paying for expenses to travel etc that is also effectively a donation.